EarthQuake
by C. C. McKenna
Summary: There's a devastating Earthquake in San Francisco. Prue gets trapped while her sisters are vacationing in New York. Read to trap yourself inside this story. (hehe not really, but I promise it's good)
1. Default Chapter

C.C. McKenna

Earthquake!

Chapter: One

Monday - 7:00 A.M.

"Are you both sure, I mean very, very sure you don't want to come with us to New York?" Piper dropped her traveling bags on the foyer's floor and glanced at her sisters. The eldest and the youngest seemed to be getting along a lot better than they did just a couple of weeks ago, but still, Piper was not completely satisfied with their performance.

"No, Piper, you go ahead". Prue smiled weakly while placing her arm around Lexie's neck,which the latter swiftly shook it away. "You and Phoebe have lots and lots of great fun, and don't worry about us, I promise Lex and I will be ok, we won't kill each other while you're gone if that's what you're worried about".

"Our cab is here!" Phoebe shouted as she pushed open the main door and burst herself inside the house. She was more than happy to be able to go back to New York, in fact, she was thrilled now that her older sister, Piper, was able to tag along; so what else could be better than that? Piper's company would automatically be doubling the trip's fun. "Last chance Prue… you'll miss all the fun" Phoebe smiled while she picked up the bags from the floor. "Are you really aware that you're letting slip away a great vacation?"

"You know I would love to go with you guys, and I'm sure Lexie would too if she didn't have those complex midterm essays to turn in" Prue helped her sisters with their bags and walked them to their cab. "Besides, I'm going to be very busy preparing all my photos, they have to be ready for Thursday" They all stood at the side of the cab, while the driver placed their luggage in the trunk. "Remember my exhibition will be this Friday" Prue smiled widely.

"Oh, honey, I'm so sorry we're going to miss it" Piper whispered, holding Prue's hand between hers. "Maybe I should stay here with you… you are going to need a helping hand around" She added softly.

Prue smiled and gave her sister a sudden kiss on her forehead. "Oh that's so sweet Piper, thank you, and, and it's not that I don't appreciate it, 'cause I do, I, I… I really do; but you need to get away, you need to have fun, you need your vacations".

"Yes Piper, we'll be fine," Lexie cut in, "I'll go with Prue and I'll help her with whatever she needs for that exhibit of hers; we'll have fun too" Lexie furrowed her nose and tilted the corner of her mouth. "Oh, come to think of it, I'm sure it will be so cool that I can hardly wait to be there" She rolled her eyes, and immediately received a slight slap from Piper, right on her shoulder blade.

"Hey, I was kidding!" Lexie whined and wrapped her arm around Prue's neck; She just loved to upset her sister, and Prue knew it, that's why most of the time she didn't take her words seriously.

"I know honey" Piper smiled. "Now, you better behave and be a good girl, I don't want any complaints from Prue when we get back"

"Hey, I always behave, just keep Prue off my back and everything will be cool" Lexie grinned, kissing the eldest's temple.

Prue frowned. "This is so not funny Alexia," andshoved her sister away.

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of her" Lexie kept joking "I'll even make sure she eats well, 'cause we all know that when she goes into that bloody dark room, alone with those photos and cameras and stuff, she forgets about food existence, hell, she even forgets about us"

"All right missy, that's enough, say good bye to your sisters and leave already, I want you back home earlier than usual, Andy is coming over this evening and we'll go out for dinner, and I mean the three of us". Prue smiled and Lexie frowned.

"Ladies, ladies, will you hurry up!" The cab driver growled with annoyance, interrupting the sister's conversation.

"Sorry, sorry, Mr. Cab Driver" Phoebe quickly kissed her sisters good-bye and hoped inside the yellow cab, leaving the door wide open for Piper.

"Ok, guys, take care" Piper smiled and kissed her not traveling, boring sisters. "We'll be back next Monday" She beamed, barely having enough time to close the door before the driver stepped on the gas pedal.

"Geeze" Lexie shook her head. "I hope they get to the airport in one piece"

"Lex…"

"All right, all right, I'm leaving" Lexie raised both hands trying to calm her sister down and headed inside the house to grab her things. Prue clutched the doorknob and kept the door open, waiting patiently for her sister to come out. Lexie finally showed up, but not where her sister was expecting her; she came out from the backyard, her black leather backpack on her shoulder and a perfectly well strapped helmet. "Later" Lexie muttered before speeding away on her Honda; leaving a not too pleased sister glaring at her. Prue shook her head and slowly walked towards her Miata. She slowly slid her body into the driver's seat while her mind and heart traveled along with her baby sister. She knew too well that the relationship with the youngest was not so good, but she had the Halliwell's determination to make it work.

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Monday 1:00 P.M.

"I've always loved New York" Phoebe whirled around and dropped herself limply on the king sized bed. "This is a cool two bedroom suite, isn't it?"

"Well yeah…but why did you ask for a two bedroom? We would have been great in a single room with two beds"

"Ha! Believe me, you don't know what you're saying" Phoebe mocked.

Piper raised an eyebrow and stared at her young sister. "What do you mean?"

"You'll find out…I hope" Phoebe giggled, she was happy to be in New York and even happier for Piper's company. "It's so cool Pipe; we're going to have the time of our lives"

"I'm sure we will honey" Piper opened the closet and started hanging all her clothes. "Give me your bag so I can hang your stuff in your closet too"

"Oh Piper, thank you, thank you, thank you…you're so sweet, and I love you, and…"

"Phoebe…enough!" Piper shook her head. "A little frantic, are we not?"

"It's just that I'm so thrilled to be back… to see my old friends, to…to"

"Call Cole and tell him you're fine and missing him", Piper smiled mockingly, "for instance?"

"Oh, you are right; I'm going to call my handsome D.A. and tell him how much I love him…'yes I am'" Phoebe spoke babyishly.

"You're nuts Phoebe" Piper smiled, finally sliding shut the closet door. "If you're going to call him… for God's sake, do it already, 'cause I'm starving; we need to go out…and I mean now"

"Any special place you have in mind?" Phoebe grabbed her purse and started looking for her cell phone.

Piper rested her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes and thinking for a moment. "Nah, you choose…I don't know this city too well… I just know I'm craving for French cuisine"

"Then I know the exact place to take you, mademoiselle" Phoebe smiled, taking the phone to her ear and raising her hand to hush her sister. "Hellooo honeyyyy…I've missed you so, so, so much"

"There's that childish tone again" Piper mocked. "I wonder if Cole ever thinks of you as an immature baby" She raised her eyebrows, smiling at her sister.

"What?" Phoebe shrugged, not quite paying attention to her sister's words and certainly trying to listen to Cole, who was enthusiastically talking on the other end.

"Nothing" Piper chuckled. "I'm going to take a shower" She gestured the words trying not to distract Phoebe from her phone conversation.

Phoebe covered the phone speaker and replied a half-whispering-half gesticulated 'ok'.

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Monday, 5:00 P.M.

"Are you sure Phoebe is going to be here next Monday?" Karen asked sadly. She was in the library, doing some research and Lexie was trying to finish her biology essay.

"Yup, that's what they said" Lexie replied, slowly hitting the keyboard of her laptop, using only her index fingers. "Damn, I've never been good at this typing thing" Lexie whined, not quietly enough, drawing the attention of the librarian towards them.

"I can help you if you want me to" Karen offered, ignoring the sharp gaze of the annoyed woman.

"If you don't keep quiet young ladies, I'm going to have to ask you both to leave" The dull faced woman took off her eyeglasses and warned them with a stern look.

Lexie rolled her eyes and turned to Karen. "I'm leaving Kary, are you coming with me or are you staying with the nice lady here?" Lexie smiled widely at the staring woman and started picking up her notebooks and laptop to put them inside her bag, biting her lower lip to suppress a laugh.

"Are you kidding? I'm coming with you" Karen hastily picked up her things and shoved them inside her leather briefcase; both girls walked out of the library, giggling.

"Are you through for the day?" Lexie asked, wanting to hear a yes for an answer. "Or do you have plans?"

"No, I don't have any plans… why do you ask? … Just being curious or do you have something cool in mind?"

"I don't want to go home just yet, do you want to come with me?" Lexie popped the question.

"Sure Lex" Karen wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders. "Everything ok?"

"No…not really, I need some advice"

"Sure kiddo, you know you can count on me"

"Thanks" Lexie smiled weakly. "Did you bring your car?" She gazed around the parking lot, trying to find Karen's brand new, black Mini Couper.

"No, I lent it to Mike, my kid brother"

"Kid brother…huh? How old is Mike 'the kid' anyway?"

"He's twenty" Karen smiled. "But Phoebe thinks he's twelve!" She laughed.

"Yeah, that's Phoebe all right… twenty, huh? And I suppose he doesn't have a girlfriend or anything…right?"

"Girlfriend or anything?… hellooo? Define 'anything'" Karen mocked.

"You know what I mean" Lexie lowered her head, obviously embarrassed.

"No I don't sweetie, but I think he would die if he knew you are asking about him"

"He what?" Lexie beamed, failing to keep her coolness. "Let's just forget about it, ok?" She spoke sternly. "Let's pretend I didn't ask…please don't tell him" Lexie insisted. "Besides, guys are all alike, they're nothing but trouble; they can hurt you real bad"

"I won't" Karen smiled mischievously. "I'll try to keep myself out of this so we don't end up fighting" She shoved Lexie backwards but quickly hugged her back. "But you have to stop thinking like that…not all guys are the same, and not all guys are like Kevin…he was… he was"

Lexie smiled and wrapped her arm around Karen's waist. "Wow, twenty, and you call him a kid; where does that leave me?" She whined, deliberately changing the subject. "And Kary, before you say anything, I'm not a kid ok, I've lived my 18 years to the fullest; you don't know all I had to go through these past years, first in London and now here in the U.S" Lexie sighed.

"Ok kiddo," Karen grabbed Lexie's arm tightly, "it's obvious you need to clear your chest, so, let's get going" Karen smiled and ruffled her friend's hair. "Where's your bike? You've just got lucky, I'm coming with you"

"Hoooh, sounds like fun" Lexie gave Karen a slight shove and both girls giggled, playfully clinching their arms.

They slowly walked to the bike and Karen stood in front of the red marvel, as Lexie called it. "Uhm…Lex, you've got to know that I don't like speeding, so please be gentle"

"Ok, but I'm going to have to take back the 'sounds like fun' part" Lexie chuckled. "You are just as boring as Piper, you know she hasn't taken a ride with me?" Lexie grabbed the helmet from the motorcycle's handle bar and tossed it to Karen. "Put this on, I wouldn't want you to get hurt"

"Whaaaat?! Why would I get hurt? What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing dude…everything's cool" Lexie smiled and hastily hopped on the motorcycle, waiting for Karen to join her. "Need a hand?" Lexie mocked the question when she glanced back over her shoulder and saw her friend having trouble with the helmet's strap.

"I've got it, I've got it" Karen swapped Lexie's hand and went back to her breathtaking, and challenging assignment; 'strapping the helmet's belt under her chin'. Lexie rolled her eyes, turned the ignition on, and waited for another five minutes for Karen to finish her complex task.

"Did you know your kid brother asked me out?" Lexie muttered, trying to kill some time while she waited for Karen to strap the helmet.

"What?!" Karen forgot about the strapping thing.

"Never mind...I'll tell you all about it later" Lexie hid her naughty smile. "Go back to the strapping thing dude!" She scolded.

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It was eight P.M. when Andy arrived at the Manor; Prue opened the door and smiled with that usual sexiness of hers. Andy looked at her for a moment and nodded before wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Whaat?" Prue asked with an obvious flirting tone.

"You're so beautiful… and I love you" Andy whispered.

"Why thank you, Inspector Trudeau"

"You're welcome Miss Halliwell; and I mean it, you look stunning tonight" Andy bent down and softly gave her a quick kiss, but Prue grabbed his tie and pulled him down for a longer version. After…let's say a reasonable period of time, Prue finally broke the kiss, slowly releasing Andy's tie; she asked him to come inside the house and wait for Lexie. She pored two glasses of red wine and guided him to the sofa, enjoying each other's company…and waiting for Alexia to show up; but the latter had other plans in mind.

Prue sighed after breaking a very passionate kiss. They were tossing on the sofa, trying to get something going before Lexie's arrival; but it seemed that her thoughts had a mind of their own; she just couldn't stop thinking about her sister. Prue placed her elbows on her knees and lowered her head, staring aimlessly at the floor; she slowly pulled her hair back and kept it there for a few seconds; she suddenly shook her head and swiftly got up. Andy felt Prue's tension and promptly went to her side, to hold her.

"I'm sorry Andy, I… I can't…" Prue tried to pull free from his arms but Andy held her tighter.

"Ok, Prue, tell me what's going on" He asked worriedly. "I want to know why are you so upset…so nervous…tell me, what can I do to help you" Andy held her at arms length, and softly stroke her chin with the back of his fingers.

"You'll probably think I'm making a big thing out of nothing, but I'm worried about Lexie; I specifically asked her to be here early so she could come and have dinner with us; she was supposed to be here around seven, and she hasn't even called to let me know where she is; and it's past eleven… and she's, God knows where, driving that hideous motorcycle, which by the way, I regret having bought that thing for her, and… and"

Andy smiled and pulled her close to his chest, firmly wrapping his arms around her. "I'm sure she's fine Prue, come on, be positive" He gently kissed her forehead. "But here's what we'll do; we wait for another hour and if she's not here by then, I promise I'll personally go look for her and I will also send some patrol cars if necessary".

"Ok" Prue whispered; her head still buried on his chest.

"Have you tried her cell?" Andy asked softly kissing the tip of her nose.

"For the 10th time, but the voice mail keeps answering for her, and that's so exasperating! Andy, what if she suffered an accident, or what if her heart…"

"Ok, ok, come on, sit down, you need to be calm, nothing happened to her, I'm sure of that" He kissed her temple and guided her to the sofa.

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Monday 11:47 P.M.

"I don't understand Lexie, if you love your sisters why do you keep hurting them?" Karen

tasted her beer and gently placed the bottle back on the table. They had been sitting in that Club for more than three hours; Karen was a good listener and Lexie knew it, that's why she chose her and that's why she had been the one venting the entire evening.

"I don't even know myself," Lexie whispered while she grabbed the last cigarette from the pack and lit it. She absentmindedly crushed the empty box and dropped it inside her unfilled cup of coffee. "I guess that I love them but I don't want to love them; and I know they love me, but I don't want them to love me…it's complicated" She embossed a weak smile. "Am I making sense?" She smiled.

"Well… not exactly sweetie, but if you elaborate a bit more…I might…"

"Let's just forget it"

"No, let's not" Karen held Lexie's hand for a moment but the latter hastily pulled it free. Karen nodded and exhaled deeply. "I think I know what the real issue is here" Karen took another sip of her beer. "Look, I'm no psychologist or anything like that, but I can easily read your heart; You, my friend, have commitment issues… no, no, I take that back" She smiled. "You have love issues, that's exactly what you have," She stated matter-of-factly.

"No, no, it's not that" Lexie breathed out a mouthful of smoke and pinched the bridge of her nose, while she slightly lowered her head again.

"Sure it is, but you don't want to accept that you are a coward" Karen swayed her finger in front of her friend's face. "A bloody British coward; as you would nicely put it, I'm sure"

Lexie raised her eyes and glared at Karen. "I'm no such thing; it's just … it's" She took a deep breath, "I want to go back to London". She sighed.

Karen startled back, surprised. "Are you out of your mind? Why? Why would you want to leave? Why would you want to hurt your sisters? They love you Lexie, Phoebe would die if… if"

"If I stay… Phoebe would die if I stay" Lexie said determinedly. "And so would Piper and Prue, and maybe even you, for that matter, because I'm cursed, because people get hurt when I'm around them…"

"Lex"

"No, let me finish please" Lexie cleared her throat. "Everybody who's near me… everybody I love… dies; my grandmother, my grandfather, my mother…and Kevin…I really loved him" She shook her head. "I'm ashamed to say it, but I loved him at the beginning, before I found out how evil he really was" She lowered her head, recalling the last few months. "He raped me Karen, and he tried to kill my sisters!" She drew some smoke in.

"Lexie…please, you have to let go"

"I can't…he ruined my life"

"But he's gone…and you're here; you need to forget about what happened and go on with your life"

"Easy for you to say" Lexie wiped her eyes. "I think of him, of what he did to me, every hour, every minute of every fucking day, I just can't take it anymore"

"I know sweetie"

"No, you don't know… you could never know what I feel"

"Lexie, sweetie, it's not easy for me to hear you say that, because I love you very much and I hate to see you like this, that's why we have to do something…we must help you forget, me and your sisters"

"I can't, I really can't forget! … Sophia's absence reminds me of him… she's my best friend, you know"

"I know who she is… she saved your life, and your sisters' too; I don't know her personally, but I am very grateful to her."

"Yeah, me too, but being grateful won't get her out of jail, she's in that bloody place again, just because of me!" Lexie slammed her hand on the table, unwillingly drawing the attention of the waiter, who hastily came to them and quickly filled another cup of coffee.

"Thank you" Karen turned to the young man and smiled at him.

Lexie didn't seem to notice his presence, but took a sip from her coffee before she went on. "Ever since I came into the Halliwell's lives things have been going wrong for them" She smirked. "Ironic, huh? I'm like a bad luck magnet for my own sisters" Lexie wiped the tears from her face and bit her lower lip. "And besides, I can't afford to love them or anybody else… I mean, what's the use if I'm going to die soon anyway?"

"What?! What are you talking about sweetie? You're so not dying, you're too young to be thinking like that"

"Yes, I am going to die Kary" Lexie insisted. "I've been going to the doctor, behind my sisters' backs, and my heart condition has worsened". Lexie grabbed Karen's hand and squeezed it tightly, suddenly realizing her lack of discretion. "Promise me you won't say a word to them"

"But Lex" Karen's eyes started to well up. "I…"

"Promise me, please" Lexie pleaded, still holding tightly her friend's hand. Karen nodded, and lowered her head to hide the tears from her eyes.

"Thank you Kary" Lexie whispered and drew a weak smile on her face. "Will you get the waiter and ask him to bring a pack of Marlboro, please"

"Lexie, you shouldn't be smok…"

"It's too late for that dude" Lexie cut her friend's words. "I'm dying anyway, whether I smoke or not, so what's the big deal…ok," She suddenly changed her mind, "let's forget about the cigarettes and go home instead.

"Lexie, we still have to talk about lots of things"

"I know, but not now, I think we should be going; you think Prue is pissed enough by now?" She grinned.

"Whaat?! Don't tell me you didn't let her know you were coming with me?"

"Hey…first of all, you came with me…remember? I dragged you down here!" Lexie chuckled. "And no, I didn't tell her I was going to be home late, so we better go"

Karen stared at Lexie, "Don't you think I don't know what you're doing Lex; you're trying hard, and I mean real hard for your sisters to hate you, to stop loving you; but let me tell you something young lady… you just don't know the Halliwells very well, do you? They don't give up on people, especially on the people they love; and you, sweetie, are someone very special for them, you are their baby sister; and they love you very much… that, I can assure you"

Lexie smiled and slowly stood up. "Special, you want to talk about special? Well, let me tell you something, you are the special one; now I know **why** you are my sister's best friend, and **why** she loves you so very much." Lexie grabbed her bag and stared at Karen. "I'm not special Kary, believe me, and I intend to let them know about it"

"Lexie, please, think about what you're saying, you don't really mean that; you should talk to them about your health condition"

"No!" Lexie quickly went back to her chair. "And you promised not to say a word to them about our conversation"

"But..."

"But nothing.... Karen, there's nothing that can be done about it; my heart is worn out, get it? It has been utterly damaged…you know…it wasn't that shabby, but because of the drugs I've taken, it kind of… well, you know the rest"

"But what about surgery…I mean, something has to be done"

"Oh, I have, believe me, I've done my part of the job, I'm on a…let's say… relatively 'long' waiting list, and I don't think I'm going to be receiving a new heart any time soon; there are several people ahead of me, and with a much more critic condition than mine, so I don't think my heart will last long enough to wait for it's replacement" Lexie barely managed to smile. "So you get my point? Why should I worry my sisters with this nonsense?"

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	2. Earthquake: Chapter Two

Ok..ok **Peanut2lbs**, sorry for the slacking off issue here..I promise to update sooner next time. Hey, did I tell you I'm crazy for that story of yours..."Eternally Charmed" You're my hero!

**AlyssaAs**: Yeah, thanks dude. I'll try to keep this story going.

**Princess Pinky:** Dude, hang in there, I'll try and do my best to keep you happy, ok?

**Faith Kingsley**: Ooh, I'd love to see that happy dance of yours. Thanks for sticking with me.

* * *

C.C. McKenna

Earthquake

Chapter Two

Tuesday 12:26 AM

Prue and Andy were at the door, getting ready to leave. Prue was determined to find that little sister of hers and bring her back, even if she had to drag her home, when suddenly Lexie's motorcycle showed up in the driveway. Lexie saw her sister's face and she immediately knew she was in big trouble, but she didn't care, in fact, that's exactly what she was looking for, so she smiled with content. Lexie pulled the motorcycle towards the back yard, totally ignoring her big sister and her boyfriend, and entered the house through the kitchen's back door.

Prue closed her hands in a tight fist and immediately went back inside the house; she was fuming. Andy remained quiet and just followed her, trying to keep her calmed, and before she went inside, he stood in front of her. "Prue, listen to me, take a deep breath and count to ten… then you can go and question Lexie about her whereabouts" Andy held her by the shoulders, trying to knock some reason into her.

"Thank you Andy, but I think I know how to take care of my own sister, I'll take it from here, please leave me alone with that brat and I'll call you tomorrow morning, well, today…later…oh, you know what I mean!"

"Ok Prue, but promise me you'll keep yourself together" He kissed her lips. "And call me if there's anything, and I mean anything, I can do for you"

Lexie came out of the kitchen with a glass of milk in her hand and walked towards her sister. Prue glared at her sister and tightened her teeth.

"All right Andy" Prue kissed him back. "I'll try to stay calm… thanks"

"Bye Andy" Lexie playfully waved her fingers. Andy barely smiled at his girlfriend's little sister, he wanted to straighten a few things or two before leaving but he decided that keeping his mouth shut would be wiser.

"Are you crazy or just playing stupid?!" Prue seized her sister's shoulders and shook her with violence, splattering the milk all over Lexie's clothes.

"Neither" Lexie swapped her sister's arms and placed the nearly emptied glass on the foyer's table. "Jesus, you've ruined my shirt!" She shouted, carefully wiping her clothes. "This was a $50.00 dollar top, you know?" She shook her head and headed towards the stairs, feeling her sister's glare on her back..

"Where do you think you're going?" Prue quickened her pace and stood in front of her sister: her eyes almost ready to pop out.

"Prue, get out of my way, I'm not in the mood for one of your stupid lectures right now"

"I'm sorry missy, but you're going to listen to me whether you like it or not"

"No, I've heard enough, besides, I'm tired" Lexie went around her sister and ran up the stairs. "I need to sleep"

"Alexia Bennett, you better get your butt down here or I'll go and get you myself, and believe me, it won't be pretty" Prue shouted but Lexie defiantly covered her ears and kept walking until she reached her room and quickly shut the door from the inside. She hated what she was doing, but she had no choice.

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Tuesday 12:26 AM

"Phoebe, this is the longest meal I've had ever!" Piper smiled as she slowly sipped the glass of red wine. "And the nicest one", she raised her glass and turned to Brad, the handsomest of the three guys sitting with them, "And I mean, literally nice", she smiled again. Phoebe giggled trying to divert everybody's attention off her slightly drunk sister.

"Uhm, Piper, I think we better go back to the hotel now, you look a little bit tired" Phoebe turned to her friends and smiled widely at them, nervously scratching her head. "She really is tired" She smiled again.

"Are you kidding?! This is just getting better" Piper chugged down the remaining half of her wine glass and slumped it on the table. "Let's h-have anotherr round, shall we?"

"Piper no" Phoebe hastily got up and pulled her sister off the chair. "Sorry guys, but she's not a very good drinker, as you can see" She smiled. "In fact, she seldom drinks, so if you excuse us…"

"Oh come on Phoebe, it's ok, I personally think she's delightfully funny" Brad spoke, holding Piper's hand. "And beautiful, I might add"

"Yeah, I know you do" Phoebe slapped Brad's hand and pulled Piper away from the table. "But right now it wouldn't be such a great idea to hit on my sister" Phoebe snatched a glass of wine Piper had grabbed from Brad's hand and placed it back on the table. "Tell you what…give us a call tomorrow and we'll arrange something".

"Perfect" David politely stood up and kissed Phoebe's cheek. "We'll give you a call tomorrow" He smiled. "Do you need a hand with your sister?"

"No, no, no; thank you, I've got her" She wrapped her arm around Piper's waist and walked with her towards the door. The Valet quickly called a cab and soon they were on their way back to the hotel.

"Phoebe, you're s-such a party s-spoiler" Piper crossed her arms in front of her and frowned as she looked outside from the cab's window. Phoebe smiled and looked at her puckered up sister; enjoying that new spontaneous, carefree and relaxed behavior of hers.

Thinking that it was about time her older sister took a moment for herself, and put aside all her worries, and duties, and boring responsibilities for a change.

"Yeah, probably I am, but you'll thank me in the morning"

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Phoebe locked the door, feeling a lot better now that they were back in their hotel room. She sighed looking at Piper. "Honey, we need to rest, I promise we'll have an even greater time tomorrow" She said softly, trying to squeeze Piper's hand.

Piper swiftly pulled her hand free. "Promis-se me we'll see Brad again" She asked as she tried to keep her balance.

Phoebe let out a small laugh, grabbed her sister's hand again, and squeezed it tighter. "I see you liked him, huh?"

"Welll, who wouldn't, I mean, he's a 'hottie', as my older sister would say" Piper chuckled. "And guess what?," she added, "she's not here, so I g-get to have him… aaaall by m-self!" She slightly stumbled back.

Phoebe's smile quickly disappeared from her face; finally realizing her sister's real feelings about Prue's constant shadow. "Yes honey, he's all yours" Phoebe added sweetly and quickly steadied her wobbly sister.

Piper slumped on the bed and closed her eyes; her arms widely spread on her sides. "Whoa, the ceiling is spinning; why is the ceiling spinning?" She abruptly sat up and gazed at Phoebe.

"It's ok Pipe, you're a little bit dizzy, that's all… do you want me to get you some coffee?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Oh, now you sound like Prue… speaking of which… we must call home to see how are they doing" She tried to get up but she felt the room spinning faster.

Phoebe caught her sister's arm and took her back to bed. "No, it's late, we'll call tomorrow; right now you need a cold shower"

"No, no, no, no" Piper got up and headed towards the phone. "I need to know how's Lexie doing… Prue must be all over her by now… nagging, and nagging, and nagging…and"

Phoebe smiled and shook her head with amusement. "Ok, all right… I'll make the call," She offered just to end her sister's rambling.

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Prue climbed up the stairs. She was very upset and determined to burst into Lexie's room; She knew Lexie had been a little disrespectful and insolent lately, but this… this was just the drop that spilled the glass of water. Prue was about to flick her hands and shove the door open, when the ringing of the phone opportunely interrupted her rage. She stopped on her tracks, took a deep breath, and reluctantly grabbed the hall's phone.

"Hello!" She pulled her hair back, not hiding her anger.

Before Prue answered the call, Phoebe had placed the phone between her ear and shoulder and went to help Piper, who had been struggling to get her shirt off after being awkwardly stuck on her head for a couple of minutes.

"HELLO!" Prue shouted even louder.

"Oh, hi Prue, I didn't know you'd already answered; I was with Piper" Phoebe laughed looking at her sister's ruffled hair. "But hey, are you ok? You don't sound too good"

"No kidding!" Prue rolled her eyes.

"What?" Phoebe asked surprised. "Having problems?"

"I'm not ok Phoebe… in fact, I'm pissed off! But forget about me, how are you guys doing?" She quickly changed the subject, trying not to worry her sisters.

"We're doing just great…I wish you could see Piper right now though" Phoebe laughed again when she saw Piper hopping on one foot, and clumsily falling on the floor desperately trying to take her jeans off"

Prue finally released her hair and released some air. "Yeah? What's she doing?" Her voice sounding a lot calmer now.

"She's drunk Prue! Can you believe it? Our sweet sister, our voice of reason, is drunk!" Phoebe laughed again. "And she looks so lovable and …so cute".

"Really? I wish I could see her like that…take a picture Phoebe" Prue smiled on the phone, still keeping her eyes on Lexie's door.

"No, I'm doing a lot better than that…I'm video recording her"

"Oh, watch out Phoebs," Prue smiled again, "she's gonna kill you when she finds out"

"I know," Phoebe smiled wider, "that's the fun part of all these; but tell me" She shifted the phone from one ear to the other."How is Lexie doing? Is she giving you any trouble?"

"Uhu" Prue nodded."But nothing I can't handle, don't worry"

"Prue, Honey, I don't know what's going on over there, but I think you should take it easy, I know you sis, and I know you'll be feeling guilty after… after those angry outbursts of yours" Phoebe breathed deeply. "Ok? … Prue? … Honey?"She waited for an answer.

"Am I supposed to answer yes?"

"Well... yeah" Phoebe said weakly.

"Well NO, forget it Phoebe! There's nothing you can say or, or… listen, my mind is already made up," Prue hissed. "Let me work this out"

"But Prue…"

"No buts Phoebe… I've gotta go, take care of Piper and be careful…see you guys soon, I love you"

"Me too" Phoebe answered before the beeping sound was heard. She shook her head and smiled widely as she walked towards Piper, who was strained on the floor, sweating, and still having that never-ending battle with her jeans.

Piper blew some stranded loose hair from her face and looked up, fixing her eyes on Phoebe. "Are you going to m-make that call orrr not?"

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Alexia closed her eyes tightly when she heard her door slamming against the wall. She knew too well how much upset her big sister was, so she breathed in and waited, burying her head on the bed.

"What is the matter with you?" Prue stood defiantly in front of her sister's bed. Lexie remained silent. "I'm talking to you Alexia, the least you could do is look at me" Alexia closed her eyes tighter and buried her face deeper through the sheets.

"Back off Prue, I don't feel like talking right now"

"You did it on purpose, didn't you? You came home deliberately late!" Prue shouted making Lexie slightly flinch. "Alexia!" She shouted harder, pulling the sheets away.

"Oh, ok, all right, I admit it, you're bloody right, I did that consciously and intentionally! Now what?" Lexie got up and turned to see her sister's bulging eyes. "What are you going to do about it?"

Prue clenched her teeth and closed her hands in a tight fist. "I don't understand you Alexia, why are you doing this? Why you want to upset me so bad?"

"I said back off" Lexie shouted, deliberately ignoring Prue's question.

"I'm so disappointed at you" Prue added softly.

"Oh yeah?… well, let me tell you something, Prue, I don't care what you think and frankly, I don't give a bloody damn if…"

Prue slapped her sister and pushed her against the bed before she finished her statement. "I've had it with you" Prue hissed. "You're grounded; you will go to classes and you are going to get your butt right here immediately after they are over, and you better do as I say or I swear to God I'll go and bring you stubborn ass back here myself"

Lexie stared at her sister, biting her lips to hold back her tears, and softly nodded.

"Good!" Prue added sternly and left the room. Lexie rubbed her cheek and smiled, feeling satisfied with her own performance.

"Sorry Prue" Lexie whispered to herself.

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	3. Earthquake: Chapter Three

**Peanut2lb**: Thanks matey, your words are highly appreaciated. Hope you like this chapter. T.F.R

**Princess Pinky**: Dude, your reviews are always great. You sure know how to prop a girl to keep her writing. Thanks a lot. and T.F.R.

**AlyssaAs:** Hey girl, thanks a lot for your kind words. Glad you like my work. Hope you enjoy this new chappie. T.F.R.

**Faith Kingsley**: Hey there friend, nice to have you back. Dude, come on, you should know Lexie by now; she's just as stubborn as her big sister. Read on, you'll find it interesting. T.F.R.

* * *

C.C. McKenna 

Earthquake

Chapter Three

Tuesday 11:38 A.M.

Piper woke up with a huge headache, a very dry mouth, and a hell of a lot more wounded pride. She had somehow managed to retain a small amount of breakfast in her stomach after throwing up for the third time that morning, and to top all that, she still had to put up with her younger sister's mockery and silly jokes about what Phoebe called 'Piper's wildest behavior ever'. Piper was so embarrassed with herself; not even in her wildest dreams, she would have thought about flirting so openly with a guy. "I have to be out of my mind…I have to be delusional" That's what she kept telling herself all morning. She knew Phoebe might have thought of it as a very cute side of her, but Piper seriously considered it an inexcusable and unforgivable behavior; and to tell the truth, she really had enjoyed her boldness only that she was too proud to admit it.

The morning had been running dreadfully slow and awfully tiring for Piper but not for Phoebe. Phoebe was enjoying herself like crazy, and best of all; she was enjoying her sister's company. They had visited the Museum of Modern Art, the Statue of Liberty, and The Empire State Building; and finally they ended up in Central Park. Of course Phoebe already knew all those places, but the sole fact of being her sister's guide made her heart jump with joy. She wanted to show her sister everything; all the things she used to love, all the people she met and still cared for; She wanted Piper to know everything about her past…about her previous life…. the life she spent alone… the life without her sisters. She was thrilled.

Phoebe got up from the dark green-ironed bench immediately after she finished a double scoop chocolate ice cream cone and anxiously stood by the curb. "Come on Piper, I'm starving" She whined and eagerly called for a cab; they were now heading for a lunch date at a nice French Restaurant, Adrienne, on Fifth Avenue.

"Phoebe, this is so embarrassing, I absolutely do no want to go there; in fact, I'm not even hungry" Piper whispered into her sister's ear, trying to avoid the nosey and staring cab driver.

"Piper… Brad is eagerly waiting for you, he's dying to see you; I mean, how lucky a girl can be?"

"Ha! Don't give me the 'lucky girl speech', I know perfectly well what you're trying to do here…and I'm so not interested in seeing him again!"

"But…I promised them" Phoebe lowered her head. "You can't do this to me!" She glanced back at her sister. "I promised we were going to have a great time, but you're… you're just making it hard…almost impossible for me to keep my promise"

Piper shook her head with annoyance. "Sorry Phoebe, but you should have checked with me first"

"Piper, they called very early this morning, and you were asleep, so I arranged the dates, I mean, I didn't think you were going to say no…last night you seemed to like the guy"

"I certainly did not!" Piper snapped. "And if you really want to go, then go ahead, I won't mind staying alone at the hotel" Piper furrowed, glancing at the driver who was still looking at them through the rearview mirror. "Do you mind!?" She snapped at him too and made him turn his eyes back to the road.

"Piper…please" Phoebe whined and gave her sister the best puppy eyes look she had. "Pretty please?" She insisted sweetly.

Piper sighed and rolled her eyes. Phoebe's puppy eyes had always been her major weakness, so she knew she was heading for big trouble. "And don't give me that look; I know you too well Phoebe Halliwell, you're not going to convince me this time, so forget it"

Phoebe lowered her head and nervously played with her thumbs; patiently waiting for her sister to change her mind, she knew it was just a matter of time.

"Oh, all right" Piper shook her head as a sign of defeat, but just to keep her 'pissed off big sister attitude', the truth was that she was also dying to see Brad.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you" Phoebe kissed her sister's cheek after each of her frantic words.

"Phoebe…. stop it, stop it, stop it!" Piper wiped her face with her sleeve and shoved Phoebe away. "Eww! … I hate it when you do that!"

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Tuesday 1:47 P.M.

"Hello" Mike smiled and nervously leaned on the locker beside Lexie's "You look beautiful today" He blushed and she blushed even more.

"Thanks" Lexie closed her locker and rested her back on the door. "You're sweet" she smiled bashfully and pulled the books to her chest.

"I was going to…I mean…that's only if…if….uhm" Michael nervously scratched his temple and took off his eyeglasses. He had never hated himself so much before for being so stupidly shy; He knew he was timid, but this time…well, this time he outdid himself. He wanted with all his heart to date Lexie; He was madly in love with her but nobody knew it, not even his sister.

"I wished I could," Lexie replied promptly, before he even had a chance to ask her out, "but I can't" she added coldly.

"Sure you can…you just don't want to, that's all"

"Michael, please don't make me go through all that again"

"Sorry, but I think you should try and forget about K…." Michael cleared his throat, realizing his lack of tact. "He´s not worth it"

Lexie looked at him for a short moment but said nothing; she took a big breath and started walking. Michael followed her with remorse.

"Lexie, please, wait" Michael grabbed her arm and stopped her. "I didn't mean to upset you"

"It's ok Michael, I am not upset, it's just that I have to leave, that's all" She pulled her arm free and faked a smile.

"Lexie…" Michael narrowed his eyes at her with disbelief, knowing perfectly well that she was hiding something.

Lexie sighed and fixed her dark blue eyes on his. "Have you ever been thirsty…I mean real thirsty…then you go to the refrigerator and open up a carton of milk and pour it in your mouth and…and then you find out that it's sour? Well, that's exactly how I feel right now, that's exactly how he made me feel; so forgive me if I don't find boys quite suitable all of a sudden" She barely smiled.

"Let me show you I'm nothing like him…let me help you forget" Michael held her hand and gently squeezed it. "Please"

Lexie bent down her head and slightly shook it. She wanted to leave at that very moment, she wanted to run away as far as she could, but she couldn't, it was Micky, the brother of her dear friend, so she just tried to be as polite as she could. "Let me have your cell number and I'll call you…eventually" She smiled.

"Great!" Michael's heart jumped frantically inside his chest while he quickly entered his number in Lexie's mobile. "You wont regret it, I promise you"

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Tuesday, 5:17 P.M.

"Was Prue mad at you last night?" Karen asked while walking through the parking lot, enjoying Lexie's company.

"Not as much as I expected her to be…but, yeah, I could say she was" Lexie smiled, tossing her helmet to the air. "She just grounded me…indefinitely" She chuckled with mockery. "But I think she'll be more pissed tonight" She winked an eye to Karen.

"Lexie, you're playing with fire sweetie… you should talk to her, and explain your situation, they deserve to know, they deserve a chance to help, to do something for you before it's…"

"Too late?" Lexie finished Karen's statement. "I told you it was already late, so please, do not insist"

"Lexie…"

"Nuh uh" Lexie placed her finger on Karen's lips. "Now, tell me, are you coming with me…or not?"

"Uhm… Brian is going to pick me up…we are supposed to go to a family dinner at his house, but tell me where you're going to be and I'll meet you there"

"No, no, it's ok, don't worry" Lexie squeezed Karen's shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow, we'll have some coffee before classes, ok?"

"No, Lex, please, tell me where you're heading, I really want to meet you there, I don't want you to be alone" Karen grabbed Lexie's hand and held it tight.

"No…go ahead and have fun with Brian, I've got to go now". She pulled her hand free from Karen's grasp and jumped on her motorcycle, skillfully strapping the helmet around her chin. "See? … This is how it's done" She joked.

Karen smiled and just stood there, watching helplessly until Alexia disappeared from sight.

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Tuesday 7:55 P.M.

Lexie's silent, long ride finally drove her to the beach. She parked the motorcycle and dropped her bag and helmet on the handle bar. Unfortunately, she had arrived about an hour too late to watch the sunset, but luckily, some beautiful colors still lingered in the sky. She mechanically walked on the sand for hours; she walked until her body felt tired enough to rest. She arrived at a high, isolated sea cliff and slowly climbed it; when she finally reached the top, she just sat there, enjoying the cool breeze and the soothing sound of the waves. The only thing that kept her going was the mere thought that everything would be all over soon.

She closed her eyes tightly and let a couple of tears fall freely down her cheeks. "I love you mom…and I'm sorry if I had to brake my promise, but I can't go on like this, I can't take care of my self…I know I promised you I would…but I couldn't, I just couldn't" She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and took a deep breath. "Mother, I need you…I really need you right here by my side"

Tuesday 11:47 P.M

Prue was furiously driving her Miata and talking to Andy on her cell phone. "Please Andy… just do me a favor and send those patrol cars to find her, and if they do, ask them to pick her up, she needs a lesson; …I'm heading for Campus right now, but I don't know if she's there or not…she's not even answering her damn cell phone"

"Prue, calm down; don't you think you're over reacting?" Andy asked calmly.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"Yes Prue; I'll send those patrol cars right away, but promise me to calm down; I don't want you in the E.R. for driving under the influence"

"Influence? What influence? What are you talking about?" Prue raised an eyebrow, obviously intrigued with Andy's words.

"The Prue influence" Andy smirked. "Just kidding" He giggled. "I meant driving under that edgy condition of yours".

"That is so not funny Andy, but thanks anyway; and don't worry, I can control myself…I think" She frowned. "Ok, I'm arriving at campus right now, let me see if she's here, talk to you later and hey… I love you"

Andy smiled widely. "I love you too"

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Wednesday 2:34 A.M.

Alexia was getting ready go home. She grabbed her bag and pulled out her leather jacket; she slowly zipped it up and turned the ignition on; but suddenly, two sets of arms grabbed her from behind. She screamed and turned around quickly to face her assailants.

"Let me go, I didn't do anything" She demanded when she noticed they were cops.

"Are you Miss Alexia Bennett?" One of the two police officers asked politely.

"Yes, I'm Alexia Bennett, but…how?"

"Sorry Miss, but we have strict orders to take you in custody" The officer bent her hands on her back and swiftly handcuffed her; immediately shoving her in the back of the patrol car and shutting the door closed.

"This is outrageous, completely unjust, and stupid… and I need a lawyer! I'm going to sue you both!" Lexie yelled louder when the two policemen got inside the patrol car. "In fact I'm suing the whole San Francisco police department, that's what I'll do!"

"Shut up!" The second officer yelled and slammed his baton on the shielded window behind him. Lexie shrunk back a little but quickly resumed her tantrum.

"You're not scaring me mister, I know my rights"

"Shut up!" The second cop insisted.

"Well I won't shut up until you get these things off me, they are hurting my wrists!"

The policeman chuckled. "Then you can scream and yell all you want, 'cause those things aren't coming off"

"Arseholes!"

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Wednesday, 3:09 A.M.

Prue was doing great,well, almost great; she was on her 9th cup of coffee and about her 50th glimpse at her wristwatch in a 'long…long' period of thirty minutes. Andy had been out looking for her little sister in law but he'd decided to go to the manor after he received a call from Prue and noticed that her tenseness was at its best; he knew she needed him. Prue followed closely Andy's pacing while he was talking on the phone, looking outside from one window to another. Prue squinted her eyes, trying to listen to Andy's already too long conversation. Finally, Andy folded his cell and slid it into his inner coat's pocket.

"They found her Prue…she'll be here any minute now" He spoke calmly.

"They did? Thank God!" Prue jumped on her feet, fixing her eyes on Andy's "But where was she? How is she? Is she hurt? Is she ok?"

"She's ok Prue… she's fine" Andy grabbed her shoulders and held her at arms length.

Prue sighed deeply, her opened hand resting flat on her chest. "I'm going to kill that little…"

"They're here" Andy whispered. "Come on" He held Prue's hand and pulled her to the entrance.

Prue opened the door and flinched a bit when she saw her baby sister handcuffed like a common criminal. Andy's friends were holding Lexie by the elbows, dragging her towards the door. Lexie saw Prue and lowered her eyes to the floor; she hated to be seen like that. She hated to look vulnerable under her sister's eyes.

"Andy!" Lexie cleared her throat and hissed with mockery. "I should have known you were behind all these" Lexie stood by the door; her arms harshly bent behind her back and still, harshly handcuffed. The two police officers quietly held her by her upper arms, waiting for Andy's instructions. Lexie turned to her sister, her face reflecting pain and anger. "Why are you doing this to me? No, let me rephrase that to you, Why did you let that stupid boyfriend of yours do this to me?" She knew too well how to hurt her sister and she was doing a hell of a job.

Prue gulped down the knot in her throat and glared at her sister. "He has nothing to do with it, I asked him to look you up and bring you here…and he's no stupid; so I suggest you apologize to him and start behaving, unless you want to go back to the juvenile detention center?"

Lexie's jaw almost reached the floor. "I can't believe my own sister would do a thing like that!"

"Believe me, honey, you still have quite a few things to learn about me" Prue smirked and pulled her sister inside. Leaving both cops smirking by the door.

Andy knew it was Prue's turn to piss off her little sister, so he walked to his friends and patted their shoulders. "That will be all, thank you White, you too Rollins, I owe you guys one" Andy smiled and walked his friends to their car. "I'll take it from here" He winked an eye and politely opened the car's door for them.

"Your call inspector"

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	4. Earthquake: Chapter Four

**Faith Kingsley:** Faith, you're right, you know me too well. Lexie and Prue won't be talking any time soon; but I promise they will....eventually, lol. I hope you like the size of this chappie. T.F.R.

**Peanut2lb**: Hi there, happy clapper, glad you liked last chappie. I like writing a little bit of everything in my stories, but no one, I mean no one can beat you in writing Prue-Andy romance. You're my hero dude! Mike is definitely sticking for a while longer. Be prepared for theAngst countdown--- ...chapter six or seven will be the one you're waiting for. T.F.R.

**AlyssaAs:** Yup, there will definitely be another Prue-Lexie encounter. Watch your local listings for time and date...lol. T.F.R.

**Princess Pinky:** Hey there dude; You're right, Lexie is so much like Prue, that's why they crash most of the time. Don't worry about Micky, Lexie will fall for him..(I hope she does, 'cause she's so stubborn) About the big **Earthquake,** as I told Peanut, stay tuned for chappie six or seven, if I calculate right,....seven. I know about the major **earthquake** due for San Francisco... it's scary, ain't it? T.F.R.

**PrUe AnD AnDy:** Right again kiddo, Lexie needs a time out. Definitely a time out! Thanks for reading and also T.F.R.

**Dorilys:** Hello dude, nice to read you liked my storie. I appreciate your words. T.F.R.

* * *

C. McKenna

Earthquake

Chapter Four

Wednesday 3:25 A.M.

"Prue, I..."

"Save it, I don't even want to hear what you have to say" Prue crossed her arms and stared at her sister. She was fuming. "I don't know what's gotten in that head of yours…I don't know what else to do with you!"

"But, I just want to…"

"I said I didn't want to hear it!" Prue cut her sister's words again turning her back on her. "You definitely need help; you need a psychologist, yeah, that's exactly what you need"

"Fine" Lexie plunged herself on the sofa, "then you tell me when it's time to get these things off, cause my wrists are killing me."

Prue bit her lower lip, suddenly realizing her big mistake. Of course she was pissed off, but seeing her sister getting hurt was something else. She immediately went to Lexie's side and pulled her up to her feet. Lexie felt a sharp, cutting pain on her wrists but kept the hurting to herself.

"Oh my God, you're cut" Prue winced; holding her sister's hands between hers.

"I'm ok" Lexie tried to diminish her soreness. "But I really feel they should be removed like...now?"

"Of course they have to be removed! And you're not ok, let me see…." Prue sat on the sofa, and turned Lexie around to take a better look. "Don't move or… Andy!" Prue shouted.

"Don't move or Andy?" Lexie mocked, "That's new" she smiled, "Does it hurt?"

"Lexie, this is definitely not the time to be joking around!…Andy! Bring me the damn key to these…these things" Prue anxiously pulled back her hair and tightened her teeth. "What were those two thinking?!"

"As if you really cared," Lexie whispered while her sister held her still.

"I heard that" Prue scolded. "And I do care missy" She turned to the door and yelled for Andy again, and then she turned back to her sister. "Hang on Lex, he'll be here any minute now… he's outside, and… and…are you hurting baby?"

"No, I'm used to being tightly handcuffed" Lexie rolled her eyes. "It's been the story of my life ever since I arrived to San Francisco" .

"Sorry" Prue mumbled, gently holding her sister's hands between hers.

"Yeah, I bet you are"

"Sorry" Andy entered the living room. He seemed to be in a hurry.

"You too?" Lexie mocked again, earning a slight shove from her big sister.

Andy scowled. "I was giving some instructions to the two officers" He apologized, staring at both sisters with suspicion. "Did I miss something?"

"No, don't mind my little sister here, she's just being a smart ass… as always"

Prue shook her head. "The key…Andy"

"Right" Andy slid his hand inside his pocket but found nothing. "The key…right?…I …Oh yes, it's in my jacket, which I left in the kitchen…I'll be right back"

Prue, obviously upset, followed Andy in his search for the suddenly vital coat. While they were in the kitchen, the floor started shaking…some picture frames fell off abruptly from the wall and the chandelier frantically oscillated.

Lexie, still confused about what was going on, stood in the middle of the living room, looking at the ceiling, then shifting her eyes to the shaky floor. She was astounded, trying to figure out what the hell was going on and also trying to keep her balance; she shrugged, then frowned, then stared back at the falling frames, she was about to freak out until she heard her sister's frightened scream coming out from the kitchen.

"Quake!" Prue shouted loudly as she ran towards Lexie. **"Quake!"** She yelled louder before she lunged herself on top of her terrified sister, sinking her onto the floor. Alexia screamed in pain when she fell harshly on her back, hitting her head on the floor and hurting her already injured wrists. Prue hugged her sister and rolled until they reached the table, both sheltering underneath.

"Are you hurt Lex?" Prue whispered her question while lying still on top of her sister. "Are you ok? … Talk to me" She insisted, raising her voice, obviously concerned.

"I will be, once you get the hell off me!" Lexie sighed. "What the hell was that?"

"Welcome to California," Prue mumbled with relief while cautiously getting off her sister. "Andy!" She shouted louder before helping Lexie up from the floor, then locked eyes with the youngest again. "And that, sweetie, was an **earthquake**…fortunately for you, a very short one" Prue cleared the loose hair from her face and took a deep breath. "This one was a biggie…thank God Phoebe wasn't here or she would have screamed like crazy and pass out"

"Are you ok girls?" Andy quickly arrived to their side. "Prue…are you hurt?" He held her chin gently.

"Yes and no" Prue softly closed her eyes and settled her forehead on his chest. Andy wrapped his arms tightly around her and rested his chin on her head. "Thank God" He whispered. Prue looked up and waited for her boyfriend to find her lips, feeling Andy's warmth, she kissed him back, enjoying his gentleness. "Uhm…Andy…"

"Yeah?…

"About that key…"

"Yeah, sorry, I've got it, I've got it" Andy went around his sister in law and skillfully unlocked the handcuffs.

"Wow" Lexie slightly winced when Andy freed her hands but moved hastily towards a pile of broken glass. "I never thought…. I mean, like… that was so cool!" She grinned, slowly kneeling and picking up a couple of broken frames, completely ignoring her injured wrists. "The **earthquake** was so bloody cool" She looked at Prue, her face beamed just by mentioning the word **earthquake**.

"Lexie, there's nothing cool about an **earthquake**, in fact, they're quite dangerous, you should take it seriously and always be prepared for the next one".

"What!?… When is the next one coming?" Lexie asked with nervousness.

"I don't know…but one thing you have to be sure of, there's always an aftershock after an earthquake, and usually an even bigger one, so, there's definitely going to be a next one, that's why you should always have to be prepared"

"Mhmm" Lexie grabbed her wrists and softly rubbed them. "That should be interesting"

"Well, actually that 'should be dangerous'" Andy supplied. "We never know when the next one is going to follow, come on" He gently guided her little sister in law to the sofa. "I'll get the first-aid-kit" Andy whispered as he sat Lexie on the futon. "You're slightly bleeding"

Prue smiled. "Thanks baby…you know where it is, right?" She asked sweetly.

"Yeah, I do, you stay with Lex" Andy kissed Prue's temple and ran up the stairs.

"I love you Andy" Prue shouted. Andy stopped at the stairs landing and smiled.

"I love you more" He smiled.

Lexie rolled her eyes. "Would the two of you mind leaving all that silly smooching for later?" She shook her head. "You're making me sick and I want to go to bed...I'll stay in bed all day...I'm not going to classes until Thursday"

"Ok...ok", Prue sighed, "and as Piper would have said…you're a delight!"

"Whatever!" Lexie pulled her knees up to her chest. "Is it going to take forever for that boyfriend of yours to get here?"

Prue rolled her eyes.

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Thursday 6:06 AM

NCEDC

Northern California Earthquake Data Center

" Yesterday's quake had a magnitude of 4.7"

"I know Johnson; I made the report"

"Oh…right" Johnson smiled dropping the file on the desk. "Any news about a possible aftershock?"

"Not yet, but Peterson, from the University of California Berkley Seismological Laboratory is making some serious research; he'll contact us if he finds something unusual, and I'm going to be very alert"

"You do that Parker…you do that, and stick to that computer, don't get your eyes away from it, not even for a second."

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Thursday 6:09 A.M.

Absentmindedly, Prue stared at the coffee maker, waiting for the precious liquid to come out, she was resting her elbows on the counter, her eyes fixed on the brewer, but not really looking, she was thinking about her sister, trying to figure out a way to get through to her; when suddenly Lexie's soft footsteps brought her out of her thoughts.

"Morning" Lexie mumbled behind her sister; she hesitated, thinking about whether she should or shouldn't kiss her sister good morning; finally deciding to pull away.

"Lexie, about last night" Prue turned around and saw her sister's apathy. "Don't even think everything's forgotten…you're still grounded, and I'm still very pissed and very disappointed with that selfish and stupid attitude of yours, so we still have a serious conversation coming"

"Yeah, I love you too" Lexie smirked. "Get over that grounding complex of yours once and for all, sis" She pulled out a stool and sat by the counter. "Why don't we talk about last night's quake instead… it was cool, wasn't it? "

"No, of course it wasn't cool, and excuuuse me, young lady, but you are definitely grounded, and that's final" Prue glared at her sister. "Grounding complex!… my ass!" She snapped. "And this is not all; I'm going to be very busy tonight and I am going to need your help with the final arrangements for my exhibition, You didn't help me yesterday, so today you're working double" Prue placed two cups of coffee on the counter and a fruit plate for her sister

"I don't want any fruit Prue, you know I don't like it…"

"Sorry, but you're eating it whether you like it or not," Prue smirked. "you need it, it's good for your heart" She added with seriousness.

Lexie rolled her eyes, "Too late for that", she softly muttered.

"I'm sorry… what was that?" Prue cocked an eyebrow as she sipped some coffee.

"I said that I'd be glad… to help you,… that is"

"Good" Prue placed the cup on the table and stared at her sister. "Then I expect you to be here around 5:00 P.M., don't stay for soccer practice" She gently slid forward the plate to her sister; smiling. "And Lexie… for once, try to be here on time"

"Fine" Lexie wrinkled her nose, staring at the huge fruit plate in front of her.

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Thursday 10: 47 A.M.

Piper opened her eyes for a fraction of a second but the bright light immediately forced her to shut them back. She waited a few seconds, and then tried again, a single eye this time, but it lasted longer, at least long enough to focus on the naked figure sleeping beside her. Her eyes quickly burst wide open and she sprung up, covering her bare body with the soft pearl sheet from her bed.

"Oh my God! Oh… My… God!" She muttered, glancing down at her clumsily covered chest and swiftly, almost flying, jumped out of bed.

"What have I done? Oh God, this is so, so, so embarrassing" Piper wrapped the sheets tighter around her body and left the room, barefooted and awfully humiliated.

"Phoebe! Pho-ebe…" Piper headed towards her sister's room, softly whispering her name and being extra careful not to wake up the handsome, perfectly shaped creature she'd left in her room. She silently turned the doorknob of her sister's room and quickly stepped inside. She immediately became frozen stiff when she saw her sister in an extremely and compromising situation; but then again, it was Phoebe, for crying out loud, so how else could she be found?

"Eww… sorry" Piper muttered covering her eyes with the palm of her hand and immediately turning away, "I'm out of here…sorry…. sorry" She whispered, immediately leaving her sister's room.

"Piper!" Phoebe saw her sister's sudden disappearing act and interrupted her own frantic and wild behavior; she sighed and kissed David's chest, repeatedly. "I'll be right bb-back, wait for me" She jumped out of bed and headed towards the door, the sheets clumsily wrapped around her sweaty body, but before leaving, she turned to the bed; "Don't go anywhere" She smiled at David and blew him a kiss from the door. _"I'm so going to kill you Piper Halliwell"_ She muttered under her breath.

"You better!" David gasped.

"What's wrong Piper?" Phoebe re-arranged the sheets, loosely, around her body. "Did Greg hurt you or something?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes and stared at her sister.

"NO!" …Well, I don't know…I mean… can you explain how in the world I ended up in bed with a total stranger?" Piper raised both eyebrows and slightly shook her head with annoyance.

Phoebe bit her lips to suppress her laughter. "Uhm, sweetie, you had a little too much to drink last night…again… and I guess you like him a lot, I mean, at least enough to invite him to your room and do whatever it is you did with him" She smiled mockingly. "Was he ….uhmm…good?"

"Phoebe!!" Piper smacked her sister's shoulder. "I don't want to talk about it!" Piper tightened the sheets around her naked body. "I couldn't have…this is so not me…this is so shameful and preposterous, and…and…yes…yes he was good! He was…" Piper covered her eyes with shame. "He was heavenly good, but I am so not going to forgive myself…EVER!"

"Honey" Phoebe gently placed her hands around her sister's face, trying to calm her down. "It's ok…you've done nothing wrong…in fact, I think that's the best thing you've done since Leo was absurdly taken away from your side, you need to be sure of that" Phoebe lovingly smiled at her embarrassed sister.

"Y-you… you really think so?" Piper asked shyly.

"Sweetie… I know so" Phoebe assured, pulling her sister tightly against her chest and tenderly kissing her forehead. "Now you know why I asked for a two bedroom suite" She mocked.

Piper slyly smiled.

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Thursday 4:39 P.M.

Classes were over; Lexie went to her coach and asked permission to leave, promising to stay for another two more hours next Saturday. It was still early; Lexie grabbed her tote bag and headed for her motorcycle with only one thing on her mind; her sister needed her and just for a change, this time she was going to be early for her. All of a sudden, Karen appeared out of nowhere, startling the young girl to a screaming point.

"Jesus Kary" Lexie placed her hand on her chest. "You scared me"

"Sorry kiddo…everything ok?" Karen squeezed her friend's shoulder.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Well… Sam said You're not staying for practice, are you?"

"No, I've got to get home and help Prue with her exhibition photos, did you know that tomorrow is her big day?"

"Yes, I know, and wouldn't miss it for the world…I love her work" Karen nodded. "Your sister is so damn good with that camera"

Lexie smiled proudly. "She is, isn't she? But hey, I still don't know of anything she isn't good at" She smiled again and checked her wrist-watch. "I guess I better go before she kills me; she needs 'my help' did you hear me? She needs my help" Lexie smiled proudly. "See you at the exhibition…ok?". Lexie kissed her friend's cheek and left in a hurry, leaving Karen stunned for a few seconds; Lexie hardly ever showed any signs of love or affection for anyone; yet, she had just given her a spontaneous, sloppy kiss. Karen suddenly felt special.

As soon as Lexie jumped on her motorcycle, she heard to the 'breaking the habit' song. Lexie quickly snatched the cell from her front pocket and flipped it open, not bothering to check whom the caller was, after all, she already knew who it was.

"I'm coming Prue… geez…cut me some slack, will you?" Lexie hissed as she accelerated the motorcycle.

"No Bond, It's not Prue… it's me"

"Sophie?" Lexie quickly turned off the ignition. "Is it really you?"

"Yeah… it's me dude" Sophia laughed.

"But…but where are you? Did they cut you loose?" Lexie smiled widely. "Oh my God…they did, didn't they? I want to see you!"

"Ok" Sophia replied patting her friend's shoulder. Alexia screamed and nervously turned around, only to find her friend, Sophie, smiling wide.

"You're here!…you're bloody here!" Lexie jumped off her motorcycle and wrapped Sophia in a big, tight hug.

"Yeah…I'm here Bond; I'm here"

"But….but"

"I'm free, thanks to your sister…Prue" Sophie returned the hug, a lot tighter.

"Prue?" Lexie shrugged. "Prue did that for you? How come she never said anything about it?"

"Didn't she tell you?"

"No, I'm telling you I didn't know"

"She was the main witness in my trial; she spoke in my favor" Sophia smiled. "She told the judge how 'cool I was saving all four of you'" She chuckled. "And your brother in law helped too…a lot…so, here I am…free as a bird!"

"He's not my brother in law…not yet, anyway" Lexie snapped, "But… oh God, this is so bloody unbelievable," Lexie smiled broadly. "This definitely calls for a celebration!" She hugged her best friend again. "Come on, let's go have a blast…I'm buying!"

"Of course you are dude…I'm broke!" Sophie smiled and quickly jumped on the motorcycle. "Come on Bond, let's go" She waited for her friend to hop on the bike and quickly wrapped her arms around her waist.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

**Thursday** 10:38 P.M.

"Do you want me to take more picture frames into the Jeep?" Andy wiped his forehead and smiled at Prue. They had been working all evening, getting everything ready for Prue's photo exhibition.

"No thank you Andy, I'll take the rest tomorrow morning" Prue walked to her boyfriend and handed him a tissue. "You are all sweaty, I think you need a shower" She smiled suggestively, watching how Andy wiped the sweat away from his face.

"What?" Andy asked, almost blushing when he felt Prue's persisting gaze.

Prue softly bit her lower lip and then the upper one, never taking her eyes away from her boyfriend's body. "You look so sexy when you're all sweaty" She added, slowly unbuttoning her shirt.

"Well…in that case I guess we both need a shower 'cause you're all sweaty yourself" He pulled her close and gently bit her lips. He slowly slid down his lips, caressing her neck, and gently kissed her ear. Prue closed her eyes and allowed Andy to take her to the moon and back with a single kiss.

"Prue…Prue" Andy softly whispered in her ear.

"Oh Andy…" Prue's reply was a mere, paused whisper.

"You…you…" Andy went back to kissing her neck, enjoying the magical moment.

"Yess, w-what?"… Prue breathlessly whispered, wrapping her arms tightly around his waist and softly pulling him closer.

"You… **you taste salty**" He whispered and hugged her tighter, anticipating his girlfriend's tantrum.

"Andrew!" Prue pulled back and playfully hit his chest with the bottom of her fists, suppressing a laugh and trying to look angry. Andy smiled and pulled her again into a passionate kiss, which she fought only for a couple of seconds, until she finally dropped her arms, relenting to his charm.

"I'm so proud of you" Andy broke the kiss and looked in his girlfriend's eyes. "You haven't said a word about Lexie not being here to help you"

Prue smiled. "That's only because I'm planning to kill that little weassel the moment she gets here!" She spoke calmly. "She was supposed to be here at 5:30....5:30 Andy! And it's past 10!"

"Prue..." Andy tried to calm her down. "Let's get back to what we were doing" He pulled her closer. "Forget I said anything…forget about Lex" He kissed Prue's lips and softly carried her in his arms, guiding her upstairs…directly to her room.

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Friday, 6:30 AM

"Bond…this is the ninth 'pub' we've been to and…aren't you tired? I mean, are you even thinking about going back home?"

"Are you crazy?" Lexie shuddered.

Sophia grinned, taking pleasure of her friend's spontaneous reaction. "It's 6:30 A.M. Bond, you must get home"

"I know…Prue must be really pissed off, and ready to kill me, and, besides, I'm drunk and she won't like it"

"Then what are you going to do?" Sophie scratched her head. "You're going to have to get back home…eventually"

"Yeah…I know…but let's just go to your place first to sober up a little and…wait, you still have that 'flat' don't you?"

"Flat?"

"Dude…" Lexie rolled her eyes. "'Apartment', She rubbed her temples. "Sophia, don't make me do some extra explaining here, my head is about to explode."

"Sorry, but see?, that's why I'm telling you we have to go home and have some sleep, but no, you never listen Lex, you're just as stubborn as your sister," Sophia snapped, "and yes, I still live in that 'flat'.

"Damn it Sophia, don't you start this again, why don't you just drop the big sister act and order me another beer"

"Lex…"

"A beer, Sophia, get me another beer, please"

"Listen dude" Sophia pushed the table and abruptly stood up. "I certainly don't have to put up with this stupid attitude of yours, either you drop the bossy act or…"

"Or what?!"

"Shit Lex, I hate your arrogance"

"Yeah? Well, I love your frankness" Lexie smirked and stood up beside her friend. "I always have" she wrapped her arm around her friend's neck.

Sophia sighed, grabbing Lexie's hand. "I still think you should at least call Prue and let her know you're ok and…"

"Shut up Sophia" Lexie grabbed the empty beer bottle and slammed it on the table. "Let's just fucking go to your place, I'm tired."

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	5. Earthquake: Chapter Five

**AlyssaAs:** Glad you liked Piper's funny side, that's the way I've always pictured her, shy, innocent and sometimes naive. But never, the way she is right now, bold and daring,. who would have thought that right? remember her in the first two seasons? TFR

**Peanut 2lb. Dude, I'm so honored to be receiving an award; I mean, coming from you, one of the greatest writers I've come up with, and also one of my fav., I mean, that is quite an honor. Thanks for your props, they do mean a lot. TFR**

**PrUe AnD AnDy**: LOL dude, aren't you being a little to harsh on poor 'ole nasty Lexie?, but don't worry, I'll think of something. TFR

**Faith Kingsley:** Yup, I bet Prue was thinking the same as you...hoping to see Lexie at home early for a change...Lexie is surely asking for a time out, ain't she?. Glad you still like my story and TFR

**Princes Pinky:** Wow dude, thanks a lot for all the info you gave me, I surely appreciate it, and don't worry, I don't mind the lecturing, I mean, it's cool. I know I wasn't well informed and aware of all that, so, thanks.I'll try and do the proper corrections about the magnitude numbers, but I can't promise anything about the aftershocks, I mean, we all know now that Andy and Prue told Lexie a bunch of lies didn't they?...lol..., so let's just pretend they were right about all that, ok? -- winks>>-- I kinda like your teacher though. And yes, I knew about the San Andreas Fault; it's scary. I also like bright, smart and dedicated students, and you my friend, seem to fit just right. TFR

* * *

C.C.McKenna

Earthquake

Chapter Five

Friday 10:53 AM

"Bond...you don't look too good"

"Oh…and you do…right? You look bloody beautiful!"

Sophie sighed, rolling her eyes. "What I meant is that you look tired" She shook her head and smiled. "I like you dude"

"Well hellooo…I've been awake for more than 24 hours…twenty eight, to be precise, do you know what that means?... and by the way, I like you too"

"Thanks, and yeah, I know what that means, and I also know what that can do to your health, which, by the way, I haven't seen you taking any pills lately…have you?" Sophie went straight to the refrigerator to put the 12 pack of Miller beer inside.

"No, as a matter of fact I haven't" Lexie mocked. "But I don't need them anymore"

"You mean you're cured?" Sophie started taking some groceries out of the paper bags.

"Well… Yeah, you could say that" Lexie added softly as she allowed herself some rest on her friend's sofa. "You c-could say t-that" She whispered again, hiding the heavy weight she was going through inside her weak chest.

Sophie did not believe a single word Lexie said but she pretended as if she did. "Have some sleep then" She dropped a quilt on her friend's lap and stood by her side. She was concerned, but hid it well.

"I can't," Lexie muttered, "I'm afraid that if I fall asleep I won't be able to wake up…"

"What?!" Sophie dropped on her knees beside Lexie. "Do you want me to get a doctor?"

Lexie realized her big mistake and carefully tried to fix her indiscretion. "Wake up in time for Prue's exhibition…that's what I meant"

"Sleep…I'll make sure you wake up in time" Sophie's smile made Lexie turn her head away from her gaze; hiding her welled up eyes.

Friday, 3:19 PM

"Andy…she's not here yet, and I don't know where else to look for her" Prue nervously pulled back her hair. "I think she's in trouble…I think this time something really happened to her, she didn't come home last night, can you believe her? She spent the night out!"

"Prue, baby, calm down…I'll be there with you as soon as I can, but in the meantime, try to stay still; I'm sending some patrol cars to look for her, don't worry"

"Don't worry?…DON'T WORRY?" You've got to be kidding!" Prue snapped, shifting the phone from one ear to the other. "Andy… I've spoken to Karen and she says she saw her yesterday and, and… Lexie told her she was coming home to help me…and…and…"

"Prue, take it easy baby, She's ok, I'm sure nothing happened to her, I'll be there shortly, I promise"

"Ok…ok…" Prue exhaled deeply and closed her eyes tightly, trying to keep her thoughts in order. "Just hurry up please"

As soon as Prue hung up the phone the doorbell rang and she ran desperately to the door; her heart jumping faster than her footsteps.

"Lexie?" Prue opened the door with a hasty quick swing only to find Phoebe's best friend, Karen, standing visibly alarmed by the doorframe. "Karen…come on inside" Prue smiled weakly. "Thanks for coming" She spoke softly after slowly closing the door behind her.

"Any news yet?" Karen rubbed her hands together and bit her lower lip as she determinedly walked towards the living room.

"No…nothing" Prue followed her close behind.

"Listen Prue…I need to talk to you…I need to tell you something" Karen cleared her throat, shamefully fixing her eyes on the floor and feeling miserably for having to break the promise she made to Lexie.

"Karen, don't tell me you really know where Lexie is"

"No, I swear I don't…it's"

"Then what is it? Spit it out, you're scaring me"

Before Karen could say a word, Prue's cell phone rang and at the same time, Andy came rushing in, followed by several police officers.

Prue flipped her cell open and raised her hand, silently asking Andy to wait. "Lex…is it you? Where the hell are you?" Prue spoke without even bothering to check the caller ID.

"No Prue, I'm not Lexie, I'm Sophia…your sister's friend"

"I know who you are…where's Lexie?" Have you seen her?"

"Yes, she's here with me…"

"WHAT?!… Put that little weasel on the phone!!"

"Sorry…I can't"

"Excuse me?! What do you mean you can't?!" Prue started pacing throughout the living room. "Ask her to….no, better yet, just… just give that spoiled brat the phone!

"Sorry, but she's sleeping…" Sophie wrinkled her nose and squinted, waiting for Prue's outburst.

Prue flung one fist to the air then grabbed her hair and pulled it back. "Well wake her up and tell her that if she's not here in 15 minutes I'm coming after her!" She added through clamped teeth.

"She'll be there when she wakes up; I just called to let you know she's fine"

"Listen up you little ex-con, you better do as I say or…hello?…Sophia!…hello!" Prue flipped closed her cell phone and tightened her jaw. "Oh…she's going to get it…I swear to God those two are going to get it!" She glared back at Karen and took a deep breath. "What is it that you wanted to say to me?"

Karen swallowed nervously and smiled. "Nothing…it wasn't important anyway…maybe later"

"Suit yourself" Prue stated and walked towards Andy, avidly wrapping her arms around him. "What took you so long? You know I'm very edgy right now and I need you"

"I'm here" Andy softly kissed the top of her head. "All you have to do is take a nap to calm yourself down and be ready for…"

"I can't…."

"Yes you can; you get some rest and I'll go make sure everything's ok and ready for tonight's exposition…trust me"

"But…"

"No buts; Prue, I'm sure Lexie is ok; you heard her friend."

"All right" Prue sighed heavily. "All right, all right, I'll take that nap…but only for you, just for you"

Andy smiled and gently kissed her. "That's my girl"

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Friday 5:00 P.M.

"Where did you say we were going tonight?" Piper asked quickening her pace to stay side by side with her younger sister. "Phoebe?" She insisted, glancing at her sister. They had been shopping the entire afternoon and she was tired of walking and tired of carrying all kinds of heavy bags.

"I'll take you to one of my favorite clubs and…"

"No, no, no, no, no; no more clubs and no more drinking…specially no more drinking!" Piper said nervously.

"Piper, I told you I wanted you to get to know all the nice places and wonderful people I used to share my life with; and besides, the celebration can't be quite over yet, I mean, your younger sister becoming a Doctor…hmm, absolutely not a normal everyday happening."

"Sweetie" Piper stopped for a moment and dropped the bags on the floor. "You know all of us are very proud of you, we're very happy that you've finally got your Doctor Degree and all, but…"

"And the highest grades of the 2005 class!" Phoebe interrupted with natural vanity.

"Ugh" Piper squinted, slightly shaking her head. "I can't believe this, I'm vacationing with Prue's clone"

"Excuse me?" Phoebe shrugged.

"Phoebe, Doctor or not, I don't think I can handle another night out"

"Sure you can, just think of it as the last vacations I get in a looong time, remember I start working this Monday at the legendary San Francisco Memorial Hospital"

"Phoebe…"

"Nuh uh uh, Doctor's orders; Doctor Halliwell's orders" Phoebe picked up the bags from the floor and smiled. "Now, follow the leader, let's have a drink"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Uhm…see? There's that word again"

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Friday 7:00 P.M.

"Wow Bond, all your wardrobe is so cool"

"Thanks, you can have it all when…when…oh, what's mine is yours dude"

"Thanks" Sophie smiled. "Are you sure Prue won't mind if I show up with you at her exhibition?"

"I'm sure she won't mind, but I'm also sure she'll be pissed, so don't mind her" Lexie hoped on her motorcycle and waited for Sophia to join her. "Ready?"

"Yeah; let's have some fun!" Sophia mocked, knowing for sure how boring Prue's photo event was going to be.

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Friday 8:15 PM

Prue's Photo Exhibition.

Prue checked her wristwatch probably for the 100th time since she arrived at her exhibition. She was there since 7:00 P.M, and it was now 8:15 P.M. The place was filled with critics, news media and many special guests, but she was absentmindedly, just hoping to see her baby sister coming out of the elevator any time soon. They were on a twenty five-story building, exactly on the last level, The Penthouse floor.

"Prue…Time Magazine wants an appointment for an interview tomorrow, do you think it might be possible for you to re-arrange your schedule?" Andy held Prue's hand and pulled her towards the young, smiling woman with the 'Time' ID tag on her dress.

"I… uh…I" Prue turned her gaze to the entrance before answering Andy's question and smiled when she finally saw the elevator's door opening wide and her sister and Sophia quickly stepping out; unfortunately they were immediately held up by the guards to discuss their denim outfit. "Excuse me…I'll be right back" Prue said politely and left the now crowded exhibition area and headed towards the elevator, leaving Andy alone to arrange the interview.

"It's ok, it's ok", Prue smiled widely, "they can come in, they're with me" Prue added firmly and grabbed the girls forearms to escort them inside. The guards shrugged but decided to remain fully alert in case the young girls decided to add a little excitement to the event.

"Where the hell were you?" Prue kept dragging both girls inside, obviously upset. "I can't believe you did this to me" Prue spoke through clenched teeth, dissimulating her anger, as well as her disappointment.

Lexie stopped walking and glared at her sister with amazement. "And I can't believe you're dragging me like a child; let go of me, you're hurting my arm!" Lexie raised her voice and waggled her arm free from Prue's grasp. "This is outrageous" She shook her head with annoyance and straightened her sleeve.

Prue raised an eyebrow. "You're drunk!" She scolded her baby sister with a harsh voice.

Sophie lowered her head with embarrassment, purposely looking the other way.

"And you're bloody annoying" Lexie stepped forward and gave Prue a slight shove. "Boring and cranky too!" She added with sarcasm.

"Lexie, please, you're making a scene" Prue looked around with mortification, forcing herself to smile.

Sophia grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her away from Prue. "Come on Bond, let's

find something to eat"

Prue sighed relieved. "Yeah, you take her and…and, and give her plenty of food so she can get rid of all that alcohol in her system" Prue faked another smile, trying to fool a couple of staring reporters. "I don't want them to take any compromising pictures of my little rebel and, oh yeah, drunk sister" She muttered, hastily blocking Lexie's body with her own.

"Don't worry big sister…I'm bloody leaving, I certainly wouldn't want to embarrass the all mighty Prue Halliwell!" Lexie raised her voice, drawing the attention of a couple of critics and a few curious reporters.

Prue turned to the media and raised both hands. "Everything's ok, she's fine" She cleared her throat, this time faking a bigger smile, "She's not exactly a photography lover herself" She quickly turned around and hastily reached out to grab her sister's arm before she could run away.

"Don't you dare leave, you little brat" Prue hissed, tightening her grasp on Lexie's forearm and again fighting to keep her coolness. "Sophie, please, help me out here" She took a deep breath, "there's plenty of food on the buffet tables, take her there and make her eat something…anything, as long as she gets her act together" Prue was hysterical and very disappointed, her face just couldn't hide her feelings; and her sister was perfectly aware of that.

Lexie suddenly felt a struck of guilt running through her veins. "Prue…I'm … I'm sorry" She swallowed her pride.

"Yeah? Well lately those 'I'm sorry's' have suddenly become a recurring aid in your vocabulary to justify that irresponsible and wild behavior of yours!"

Lexie closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose, and then turned her gaze to her sister. "What do you really want from me Prue?" Lexie spat. Her arms anxiously spread wide.

"Nothing!, 'cause I'm sure that's the only thing I can get from you"

Prue's words were like a bucket of icy water on Lexie's back. She was deeply hurt by her sister's coldness and apathy, but then again, that's exactly what she wanted, her sister's hatred. She just nodded.

"Take her away Sophia…please" Prue sighed deeply, also pinching the bridge of her nose. "Just…just go."

"Ok dude, I'll see what I can do to calm your sister down" Sophie wanted to smile but she couldn't; she held Lexie's hand and dragged her away, feeling sorry for Prue.

"Traitor!" Lexie mumbled, glaring at her friend.

TBC

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	6. Earthquake: Chapter Six

Princess Pinky: Yup dude, Phoebe has become a Doctor, and a very good one, I might add.

Maybe she can do something about Lexie…maybe. I also think Karen is cool, and you should see her brother. He's sweet. Thanks dude, for reviewing.

Peanut2lb: Today I'm going to start by thanking you. Your reviews always make my day.

Dude, what can we do? Lexie is such a mess. I just hope Prue, or anybody; could knock some sense inside that naughty head of hers; but don't worry, I'm getting there.

Uhm…dude…-clears throat- were you really in that Northridge E-Quake? … Wow, could you share some more, I mean, I wouldn't like to pry and all, but I'd really like that. You're cool.

Faith Kingsley: Go you! You've reviewed again! Thanks! And yes, our Phoebe is a Doctor, how about that? Cool, right? Dude, Lexie doesn't want to die…She's trying to make her sisters hate her so that when she has to go away they won't miss her that much or suffer for her; Let's see what Sophie can do about it.

AlyssaAs: Wow; you're right about everything. I promise Lexie will learn her lesson. TFR

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C.C. McKenna 

Earthquake

Chapter Six

University of California Berkley Seismological Laboratory

9:17 P.M.

"Damn…this can't be right, I have to double check this information; it just can't be possible for a seismic activity of this magnitude to be going on right now". Luke Peterson put away his eyeglasses and wiped his eyes with nervousness; he re-checked the computers for possible mistakes but everything was in order. There was no doubt about it; a 7.9 magnitude earthquake was about to happen any time soon. He grabbed the phone and quickly dialed the NCEDC Northern California Earthquake Data Center.

"Parker?" Peterson's voice sounded extremely serious and very nervous. "We've got a problem" He scratched the back of his head while he stared at the monitor.

"I know…" John Parker replied with fear; he knew what Peterson was about to tell him; his heartbeat was completely out of control and he swallowed with difficulty while he gripped his fingers around the phone. "I've got your message in my computer…I've dialed the White House, I'm holding to speak to Mr. President"

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"I'm starving" Lexie smiled as she approached the buffet table. "Those shrimps look delicious" She smiled, of course she wasn't really hungry, but she didn't like the idea of having to face Sophia, not yet anyway.

Sophie frowned and stared at her friend. "Please, tell me you weren't pretending to be drunk just to upset your sister".She seemed to be pretty mad but Lexie didn't care.

"Maybe" Lexie shrugged. She pretended to be busy checking the food on the table. "What if I was? I mean, you can't deny I was awesome, can you? I mean, I really got her mad at me, didn't I?" She looked at Sophia with a rather cynical smile on her lips.

Sophia shook her head and turned around to spot Lexie's sister; Prue looked very distressed, nevertheless, was fairly managing to answer the media's questions, which unfortunately had already gathered around her for an interview.

"You're crazy Bond, you really are fucking crazy!" Sophia turned to Lexie and spat with anger; barely controlling her urge to slap her; and notbecause of what she'd done,but for her sister; Prue didn't deserve that, not in her book, she didn't.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me it wasn't fun" Lexie laughed with sarcasm.

"Dude, you need fucking help, that's what you need!" Sophie couldn't control her anger, so she came forward and pushed Lexie against the food table, slightly shaking it. "Damn it" She thought to herself, realizing it was too late to go back.

"Whoa…easy Sophia, I swear I don't need help to get to these shrimps" Lexie laughed harder, deliberately ignoring her friend's words.

"Lexie, if you don't cut this off,I promiseI'll get the hell out of here;you're fucking pissing me"

Lexie turned around to face Sophia; narrowing her eyes, sheangrily dropped her plate on the table. "Chill out Sophia, there's an explanation for all these" Lexie spoke, spreading her arms wide with desperation.

"Well it better be good 'cause I sure don't like the way you behaved with your sister, this exhibition is very important to her and you almost ruined it; I don't know why did you have to be so mean, and I don't know why did I agree to come with you in the first place!"

"Hey, that's enough" Lexie shout back. "You're my friend, remember? She shoved Sophia back. "You should be on my bloody side," She pushed her again. "Not hers" She threw a hand in the air, without looking, to where her sister was supposed to be."And besides, you don't know nothing…" Lexie bit her lower lip and took a couple of quick breaths; her mind whirling rapidly trying to decide whether if she should open up to her friend or keep it for herself.

"Well I still won't if you don't tell me what the hell is going on!"

"Listen," Lexie swallowed hard, "I've been seeing…"

"Hey Kiddo!" Karen waved walking cheerfully towards them and interrupting their conversation; Michael smiling broadly beside her. "I Hope you don't mind my 'kid' brother tagging along with me" She smirked when Michael gave her a slight squeeze on her elbow.

"Not at all" Lexie looked at Sophie then turned to Karen, managing to draw a slight smile. "Glad you could make it" She winked an eye and kissed Karen's cheek. "You brought him intentionally, didn't you?" Lexie whispered in her friend's ear.

"Hi, I'm Sophia" She unashamedly introduced herself, not giving Karen a chance to give Lexie a proper reply.

Karen smiled. "Well, hello, finally I get the chance to meet you…this is my ki…"

"Michael…I'm Michael" He cut her sister's words and shook Sophie's hand. Lexie coughed to dissimulate her amusement; pretending to be discrete, but Michael blushed anyway.

"H-hi Lexie" Michael stammered; but a cute smile followed instantly, showing off the cutest pair ofdimples in San Francisco. Lexie knew it; that was one of the things she loved about Mike; but as always, it was one of the thingsshe kept to herself.

"Hello Michael, nice to see you…" Lexie smiled and stood on the tip of her toes to reach his cheek, "again", She whispered and gave him a soft kiss.

Michael's blush suddenly became more evident and his tongue completely frozen under Lexie's sweet gaze;Mike's sister quickly came to the rescue. "Mike, why don't you get us something to drink, please"

"S-sure" Michael swallowed nervously.

"Champagne for everybody" Lexie looked at him in the eyes, enjoying his shyness.

"Dr Pepper for you young lady" Karen butted in.

"Well, you can't blame a girl for trying" Lexie grabbed some caviar from one of the various silver trays. "I've had enough anyway" She muttered under her breath before taking the snack into her mouth.

"What did you say?" Karen heard her perfectly well, but this time, Michael did the saving.

"I'll get her that D-Pepper you asked" Michael patted her sister's back. "Come on sis, give her a break" He winked an eye and headed for the bar, which was just across the hall, next to the exhibition area. He was beaming, and his sister was more than happy. Karen loved the idea of Lexie becoming her brother's girlfriend.

Prue took a little of her time togivea kissto Michael when hewalked byher side; she also thought of Michael as a great candidate for her sister. She liked him a lot but she knew that if she said a word to Lexie about him, she would automatically reject him.

"Karen Shawls, you did that on purpose!" Lexie buried her finger on her friend's chest and gave her a slight shove.

"Guilty!" Karen smiled scornfully.

"Forget it, I'm so not going out with him"

"Who says I want you to?" Karen walked to the buffet table. "He's just being polite and wanted to keep me company" She grabbed a shrimp from the silver platter and took it to her mouth. "This is scrumptious Lex…you should try them"

"I have" Lexie's reply was a mere whisper, but she grabbed one anyway; a big one.

Again, Prue interrupted her interview for a second to gaze over her sister, she sighed as a sign of relief when she saw Lexie smiling and having what it seemed to be a good time with Karen and Sophia; She loved her sister, no matter how wild and stubborn she was, she loved her. Prue smiled; she was tough, but when it came to her sister, she was a softy. She shook her head and went back to the reporters. Her gorgeous smile froze, and suddenly turned into a frightened grimace when the floor started shaking and the gigantic chandeliers above her head started swaying out of control. She immediately knew it was an earthquake, but she never imagined its magnitude. "Lexie!" It was the first thing that came up her mind, she shouted as she felt a gripping hand on her shoulder; she didn't have to look to find out whom it was; her heart knew it was Andy. She hastily turned to face him, she was shocked and frightened, but Andy pulled her to his chest and tried to take her to a safe spot.

Lexie screamed in horror and instinctively tried to run to her sister's side. Her heart completely stopped for a second when right in front of her the entire floor completely collapsed, unmercifully swallowing her sister, her future brother in law and all the people around them. She remained petrified, shocked, but Karen somehow managed to drag her to a safe place; She knew well enough that the substructure they were standing on was soon going to be breaking up as well. Screams and fear suddenly filled the place; Sophia was on her knees but she quickly got a hold of herself and followed Lexie and Karen. They panicked again when a loud thunderous noise was heard, and the remaining part of the floor also collapsed, swallowing them all at once.

Several hours had passed, it seemed like an eternity, an awful nightmare. Lexie couldn't believe what she was seeing. Of course she knew about earthquakes, and major disasters, but all that she'd seen on TV; she could have never imagined to be living such a terrible experience. She glanced around, afraid of making a false move that could set off another violent fall. She licked her dry lips, breathing with difficulty. The walls of the fancy edifice were gone and the place was now a complete disaster area; she slowly scanned the place around and despite of the lack of light she realized that the 25-story building had now dreadfully become a pile of debris.

The place was dark, but some sparks could be easily spotted around the place, there were smoke and screams and cries; she couldn't focus well enough, but still, she could easily feel the pain and fear that hovered around the devastated area. Lexie started coughing and desperately tried to breath some air, but the heavy dust that floated in the air made it impossible. She passed out again just after she became aware that she was buried under heavy bricks and stones, lying somewhere under the collapsed building, which now stood half of its original size.

"We're here…please, somebody…anybody, get us out of here!" Lexie slowly opened her eyes when she heard Karen yelling for help. It was still dark, maybe even darker than before; She carefully moved her hand and slowly waved it in front of her eyes; as much as she tried, she failed to see it, but Karen's voice could be heard very close by.

"K-kary" Lexie muttered softly, suddenly realizing that she must have had some broken ribs, cause it hurt like hell when she tried to speak. "Kary!" She shouted louder and winced at the same time.

"Lex? I hear you… I can hear you, thank God! Hold on kiddo, somebody will get us out" Karen bit her lips trying to be brave and somehow she felt happy to find out that Lexie was alive and only a few feet away.

"I can't see you…I can't see a thing" Lex yelled with a frightened, quivering voice.

"Don't worry, I can't see a thing either; we're under a pile of rocks, and it's very dark in here" Karen bit her lip, not allowing herself to cry when she thought about her brother. _"He's_ _fine…I'm sure he's alive_," She thought to herself…seriously believing her own thoughts.

Lexie sighed relieved when she found out that nothing was wrong with her sight and propped herself to come out of the hole she was in. "Prue…I've got to find Prue" She hissed, pushing some debris away.

"You can't Lex, it's too dangerous…we must leave that job to the rescuers, they'll soon be here, I can hear their voices"

"The hell I can't" Lexie tried shifting again, when she felt what it seemed a hand next to her leg. She quickly grabbed it and felt the pulse; it was slow, but steady. She quickly started pulling out the remains from her body and freed the other person as well.

"Wake up…please, wake up" Lexie softly patted the unconscious body beside her and gently placed her hand on the back of the head, slightly lifting it. "You'll be ok…you'll be ok" She assured, overcoming her own pain.

"I know" Sophia replied weakly, hesitantly reaching out to find her friend's hand; which she clasped tightly when she suddenly stumbled upon it.

"Sophie!" Lexie raised her voice with surprise, not even paying attention to the sharp pain inside her chest. "Thank God you're ok"

"Well," Sophia winced, "that could be relative, I think I have a broken arm, and my head hurts like hell", she placed her hand on her forehead, "I think I'm bleeding"

Karen freed part of her trapped body and tilted her head, trying to listen to her friend's conversation. "Lex…you ok?" She asked anxiously still lacking of a clear sight. "I need to know how are you"

"Yeah Kary, I'm fine, I'm trying to help Sophie, she has a broken arm, and… and I…I think I have a few da-damaged ribs of my own, 'cause it hurts quite a bit when I breath, but don't worry, I can handle it"

"I'm sorry sweetie, hang on, I'm almost free, so, just keep calm, I'll be with you as soon as I get this stupid limp leg out"

"Is it… b-broken?" Lexie held her breath, slightly squinting with concern.

"Yup, but don't you think that a little inconvenience like this will hold me back… hang on," Karen hissed, "It's almost o-ut…t-there, I got it" She muffled a painful cry and closed her eyes tightly, waited a few seconds, and then courageously took a deeper breath to prop herself up, but the weight she inflicted on her leg was more than it could bear, so she fell heavily right back to where she was before.

"Karen!" Lexie shouted.

"I'm ok" Karen answered, wincing in pain. "I'm ok"

"Anybody in here?" The voice of an agitated fireman somehow uplifted the girl's spirits

"Yes…we're in here!"

"We need help!"

"Hurry up…please!"

The three girls shouted almost at the same time, their screams immediately followed by several other painful ones from around the place. The rescuer spotted Karen with his flashlight and hastily checked her injuries. He grabbed a portable oxygen cylinder and placed it over her mouth and nose, but she quickly removed it.

"No, I don't need it, my friend is some where out there," she waved her hand with desperation, "she has some broken ribs and I'm sure she's having a hard time breathing"

The firefighter nodded and spread his flashlight slowly around the dusted area, quickly spotting Lexie; she was kneeling and holding Sophia's head on her lap. He swiftly moved towards her and placed the mask on her face. "Here, hold this tight, I'll get some extra helping hands in here" He quickly checked her injuries and then bent down to check upon Sophie. "You'll be ok," he assured, wiping the blood away from her eyes, "I'll be right back" .

"Don't go!" Lexie shouted. "You need to find my sister, she's somewhere under this pile of…"

"I'll get some help miss, it's dangerous to go alone, now stay calm, and I'll be right back"

Lexie watched the man leave and slowly rested Sophia's head on the seat of a broken chair. She grabbed the oxygen and slowly got on her feet.

"W-what are you going to do Lex?" Sophie tried to sit up but failed her intent. "You know what the man said… it's too dangerous to go by yourself" She said nervously, already knowing what her friend had in mind.

"You know I have to do it Sophie; I have got to go look for her" Lexie kissed her friend'sforehead and carefully crawled away, moving slowly, but determined to find her sister.

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	7. Earthquake: Chapter Seven

**Peanut2lb:** Gasp! Dude, I never would have thought that you actually went through something like that. Geez, I'm so sorry pal, I mean, I've seen clips on TV about that awful quake, and man, lemme tell you that it is scary...and quite a lot, I might add. I'm sure that no matter how long it's been, you always keep that memory at hand; I wish I was wrong. Sorry again dude.

Now, about your nice comments, Yup, It's going to be cool to see Phoebe as a Doctor, right? Just wait and see what's coming next. TFR dude.

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**PrUe AnD AnDy:** Thanks for reviewing dude, and don't worry, everybody will get what they deserve. TFR

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**Faith Kingsley:** Sorry for the delay kiddo, hope you like this update. And about your question (Lexie leaving) ...DUDE!...come on...FOCUS! Go back to chapter one or two...can't recall which one, but you'll find the answer there. TFR.

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**AlyssaAs:** Aww, dude, you're so sweet! Thanks a lot for your kind words. Don't worry missy, Lexie will be hurt, you can count on it. Hope you like this update. TFR

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**Princess Pinky:** Hey dude! Wait till you find out about Sophie... Dun-dun-dun-dun! I'm glad Lexie is finally coming to her senses too. Don't worry, she'll end up doing the right thing. TFR.

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**_OK... ENOUGH FOR TODAY! LET'S GO TO THE STORY DUDES!_**

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C.C. McKenna

Earthquake

Chapter Seven

Phoebe hung up the telephone releasing a heavy sigh at the same time; she had been on the handset for the lasthalf hour,dealing with busy tones, long exasperating holds, and rude receptionists with no courtesy at all. She shook her head, fixing her eyes on Piper's inquisitive ones. "Nothing" she added.

"Nothing? What do you mean nothing!" Piper snapped,rubbing her temples and swiftly moving across the room. They had seen the news on TV… they saw with terror what the devastating Earthquake had done to San Francisco, and they were desperate doing all the necessary arrangements to get back to their hometown, to get back to their sisters… but unfortunately, it was obviously impossible.

"What do you mean nothing!" Piper yelled louder. "Y-you… you try another airline! And then another, and another one, until you get us a freaking seat to San Francisco!"

"P-piper…"

"No! Don't you Piper me…"

Phoebe squinted, taking in each and every one of her sister's desperate words. She was upset and desperate too but she was keeping her cool, Piper needed her right now. Piper…sweetie…" she slowly walked to her sister and gently enveloped her trembling body with her loving arms. "Honey, calm down, you need to calm down… we'll get there, I don't know how, but we will, I promise; it's just that there are no flights to San Francisco, they've shut down the airport," Phoebe kissed her sister's temple, "and flights to L.A. are all booked up"

Piper hastily pulled back, holding Phoebe at arms length. "I don't give a damn" She muttered through clenched teeth, tightly clutching her fingers around her sister's arms. "Get us a private jet or anything, I don't care what you have to do, but do it now!" She raised her voice, never releasing her grip. "Tell me, can you do something? Can you fix this…t-this… can you get us there?" Piper shouted and took a very deep breath, "P-please Phoebe, I just can't take it anymore, this…this silence is killing me…not knowing anything about my sisters is freaking killing me!" She yelled, shaking her sister with anger.

"Ok…o-ok…" Phoebe bit her lips, a couple of tears found their way down her cheek while she pulled her sister closer. "Easy now" Phoebe softly whispered; Piper's nervous outburst was scaring her. "I'll get us there, but please, Piper, you have to calm down, this is…"

"Then do it now!" Piper cut off her sister's words, forcing her to startle, "I want to see my sisters, I want to be with them, I want to know they're all aright"

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"P-prue" Andy stirred, slowly coming out of his nothingness. He winced and carefully reached down to grab his leg. He couldn't see a thing but he knew it was badly damaged. He could feel it. His leg was bleeding due to an exposed fracture and he couldn't move it no matter how hard he tried. He made an effort to get a hold of his belt and strap it around his leg to make a tourniquet, but soon found out that his arm was broken too. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes tightly, trying to get rid of the pain; it took him a couple of minutes but he finally managed to tie the belt, single handed, around his leg; he waited just a little more to regain strength, until he collected enough energy to move. He crawled with difficulty, with only one thing in his mind…Prue.

"You have to be here somewhere, I was holding you… you have to be here…" Andy kept murmuring, dragging his leg, dealing with his aching arm, and struggling like crazy to keep himself conscious. He stopped for a couple of seconds and took a deep breath before he attempted to remove a rather large metal structure, but he couldn't do it, his flaccid arm just wasn't giving him the results he wanted. He moaned and fell on his back, cringing in pain; gasping. He made another huge effort but still, he couldn't move; He was weak and thirsty; the blood loss was quickly becoming a major issue. He moved his hand and accidentally brushed his fingers on something soft. His eyes went wide and automatically sat up; it was Prue, he knew it had to be her, somehow deep down inside, his heart just knew it.

Andy couldn't see a thing but he grasped the cold, limp hand and squeezed it; he got no response whatsoever, so he slowly slid his trembling fingers trying to reach further, stopping abruptly before he even reached the elbow, realizing that the hand he was holding was the only thing he could get a hold of. Pulling some rocks aside, he fearfully gripped the lifeless hand, and without still being able to focus enough to identify it, his heart jumped inside when he recognized his girlfriend's gold charm bracelet. Somehow, it found a way to glitter to make sure he was right.

"P-prue…baby?" Andy whispered. He never thought he could be this frightened, but he was. He bit his lips with nervousness and gently ran his thumb on the lifeless hand he was holding. "Prue…oh God…please, she has to be alive" He paused for a moment to get rid of his fear, "Prue…I know you're alive, my heart can't be wrong…" He cleared his throat to swallow the big lump that was blocking it. "I love you…I need you…. please God… please, this can't be happening" Andy kept mumbling, painfully trying to toss more rocks out of the way; but his arm reluctantly willing to comply with his orders. Hissing with desperation and slowly leaning his aching body on a pile of twisted irons, his thoughts immediately traveled to Prue. "I love you Prue, you know that; I'm staying here with you, I won't leave you alone" He whispered, hating himself more than ever for not being able to do more for her.

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Lexie was slowly getting to the place she saw her sister for the last time; she was tired and frightened, but she wanted to find her with all her might. Her slim body made it easier for her to crawl through small and shallow places, desperately calling her sister's name, not even bothering to think about the burning pain she was feeling inside her chest; not to mention the weakness that her worn out heart was causing.

Lexie was angry, confused and scared; she hated herself for being such a bitch to her sister lately; if only she was given a chance to do things right, if only she could tell her sister how much she loved her; if only she could turn back time…if…if, there were too many ifs involved this time; her hands instinctively went to her head, strongly pressing her temples, trying to get those thoughts out of her mind; She screamed when she felt a sharp pain inside her head, almost as it was about and ready to implode; she dropped on her knees and cried; Finally releasing all the pressure she'd jealously kept inside over the years. She was mad at life for treating her so harsh, but worst of all, she was mad at God for taking away all the important people in her life, all the people she loved, her mother, her grandparents, and now he wanted to take her sister; She hated life for not giving her a chance to grow up with a father, a father that should had taken care of her and her ill mother; She had always lived with the thought that maybe if he had been around, things had definitely been different; her mother would probably still be alive, and she wouldn't have had to go through all the pain and suffering of living with her aunt and all that physical and physiological abuse. She screamed again, holding the side of her body, ignoring her own pain. She stood up, slowly but steady, oh she was angry, but this time something was different, this time she felt an unusual force running through her veins; she took a deep breath and determinedly decided she had had enough, she surprised herself swearing never to hide behind God's will again, this time she was going to fight back, there was absolutely no way for her to accept God's rules, no, not anymore; this time she was going to fight harder, and this time… she was going to win.

Completely out of breath, and almost to the point of collapsing again, Lexie called out her sister's name for what she thought was probably a thousand time, receiving no response whatsoever; she closed her eyes with desperation and took several short breaths to get her strength back, but everything seemed useless, she still couldn't catch her breath; so she decided instead to grant herself a little time to rest. Lexie leaned back on a pile of shards, rubbing the side of her chest to get some relief; her broken ribs were starting to be a real problem; but nothing was going to stop her from finding her big sister. She was about to move on when she thought she heard an old familiar voice filling the air. "Andy?" She whispered to no one and quickly sat up, trying hard to identify her brother in law's voice from the hundreds of voices that had been piercing her ears for quite a while now.

"Over here Lexie!" Andy had listened to Lexie's calls trying to find her sister, so he yelled louder, hoping to guide her to where they were. "Lexie, follow my voice, I'm going to keep shouting until you find us" And so he did; he yelled as loud as he could, becoming weaker and weaker with each shout. His sight got blurry and he was about to pass out when he felt a soothing, comforting hand on his shoulder.

"I'm here Andy…I'm right here; Thank God you're ok" She said, not noticing Andy's injuries; it was still dark, and only diffused shadows could be perceived. "Where's Prue…where's my sister!"

"Lexie" Andy slowly licked his lips. "I'm so g-glad to see you…she's…she's…"

"Andrew, don't do this to me, wake up, come on, wake up" She slapped him several times to keep him conscious but it was too late, he m,mdplunged his head in her hands, unconscious. "You've got to tell me where my sister is…I can't see a thing…damn it Andrew!"

It was useless, Andy was unconscious, but she knew her sister had to be near somewhere; If Andy was here, Prue had to be too, that was obvious. She dragged Andy with difficulty to an open space and leaned him on a stack of stones, sharing a space with a couple of screaming reporters; knowing for a fact that help would be coming their way soon; she wiped the sweat and the salty drops from her face and quickly checked the oxygen cylinder she kept in her waist band and immediately went back to find her sister.

Lexie kept carefully tossing rocks away, calling her sister's name every time she shoved debris aside, but never getting a response. "Come on Prue, say something, yell…please" she kept digging, "answer me, let me know where you are", she whispered with every desperate attempt she made to find her. Suddenly, she stopped for a moment, realizing the big mistake she had done. She stood up and searched inside her pocket, her hands were shaking when she grabbed the first present Prue had given her, the silver cell phone. Without hesitations, she flipped it open and dialed her sister's number; She waited a few seconds, which she thought they were the longest seconds of her life, and her heart jumped like crazy when she heard the heavenly ringing sound of her sister's cell only a couple of feet away, in a matter of seconds, she was all over the pile of debris. Ignoring the cuts and scrapes on her hands, she just kept tossing rocks away, shoving the pain aside and ignoring the sheer agony her ribs were causing through her entire body. She took a couple of seconds to regain strength and immediately went back to her task, her hands were a mess, but time was vital.

The first thing she came across with was her sister's cold hand, which she held tight as soon as she plunged heavily on her knees. "I'm here Prue, I'm here with you, you're not alone" Lexie kept repeating, she was scared and afraid of not having enough courage to handle the situation. "I'll get you out, I promise" She clenched her sister's hand, hoping to hear a reply; the only thing she got was an almost imperceptible weak squeeze in return, but it was more than enough for Lexie, Prue had given her a little hope to go on. She didn't want to release her sister's flaccid hand, but she did anyway, and anxiously went back to the heavy rocks. Suddenly, the ringing stopped, Prue's cell was out, but Lexie didn't care, she had already found her sister, and now the only thing she had to do was to get her out.

Lexie's cell light made it a lot easier for her to see what she was doing; she held it tight between her teeth while she lifted the last piece of concrete and spotted Prue, face down and completely oblivious to Lexie's presence.

"Prue…oh God…thank you, thank you, thank you…!" Lexie bent down and carefully brushed the hair from her sister's face. Her hands were shaking and her heart was beating out of control. "Prue, come on Prue, I'm scared, please…please wake up" Lexie spread her gaze and fought against a sudden dizzy spell when she realized that her sister's lower body was trapped underneath a huge beam. She closed her eyes tightly and gazed back to her sister. She was now more scared than ever. "I'll get you out, don't worry" She whispered in her sister's ear while she quickly reached for the cylinder and gently placed the oxygen mask over her nose and mouth, waiting to see a sign, any sign that could reveal her sister's condition; something that could tell her that she was still alive and that she were going to be ok.

After a while, Prue's eyelids barely fluttered. The first thing she felt was cold, then fear. She tried to rub her eyes but her arm didn't respond. She had no control. Her breathing was shallow and she couldn't even think straight. Instinctively, she took a deep breath and filled her lungs with the precious oxygen her sister had just provided her with. She then tried to shake the haze out of her head but the sharp, unbearable pain she felt on her back almost sent her back to oblivion again, fortunately Lexie's sweet voice kept her conscious.

"Don't move," Lexie whispered once more, softly rubbing her sister's back with gentle circled motions, immediately turning off her cell phone to preserve the battery and save the precious blue light for later. "Please, stay still or you'll hurt yourself even more"

The moment Prue felt her sister's touch she forced herself to stay awake; she slowly tried to open her eyes, succeeding this time, but all she saw was darkness; no faces, no nothing. The surface below her was rough and cold. Her head was hurting bad and she could feel a hot stream running down her forehead, blatantly cluttering her face. She didn't have to be a doctor to know that her right arm was fractured; despite the lack of light, she was well aware of it's awkward position; It was bleeding too; the sticky warm liquid underneath it validated her own diagnose. _"A-andy"_ She whispered in her mind, but an excruciating pain suddenly brought her out of her thoughts; her back was hurting her in a way she never thought it could be possible.

"Awwgh…p-please", Prue gasped and tilted the oxygen away from her face, "my back is killing me…do s-something…p-please" she cried desperately.

Lexie quickly tightened her grip on her sister's hand. "Ok…ok…easy" She grabbed her cell again and turned it on to get some light, but she already knew the reason for her sister's pain…the iron beam was sharply pressing down and piercing Prue's lower back, and it didn't look good. It was going to be almost impossible for Lexie to get her sister free and agonizingly painful for Prue to bear, but she had to do it, she had no choice, so she tried one last shot. "Prue…can you use your powers? Think you can help me move the beam?"

"A-andy" Prue's words were barely a mere whisper, but Lexie was close enough to listen.

"Andy is fine Prue, he's safe; now, please, stay with me here…can-you-move-the-beam?"

"B-beam?"

"Yes Prue, can you help me move the beam from your back? Can you move at all?" Lexie asked softly.

"N-no,… I… I can't… "

"Ok…ok, don't worry" Lexie tried to move her sister but her own body protested violently; she wanted to ignore the pain and focus on her sister but it was just too much. "It's ok", she paused, trying to get her breathing under control, "I'll see what I can do," she barely whispered.

"I…I'm-m s-s-s-sorry" Prue spoke softly, suppressing the annoying cough that had been bothering her for quite a while now. "W-where's A-anddddy?" She asked between coughs.

"Easy…easy, I think it's better if you don't talk" Lexie brushed her sister's hair out of the way. "He's ok…Andy is ok…sshhh, stay calm, I'll get you out" Lexie placed a soft kiss on her sister's forehead "Listen Prue, I'm going to lift the bar, and it's going to hurt bad but I have to do it"

"I…k-know… j-just… just d-do it"

"Ok" Lexie nodded, once again admiring her sister's strength and fearless spirit, "I'll do this quickly…just take a deep breath and on the count of three, one…two…"

A ripping scream was released from the bottom of Prue's chest the moment her sister lifted the heavy bar; She had placed an iron rod underneath the beam, and with the help of a piece of concrete, lifted it, and dropped it beside her. The heavy thud shook the surroundings in a very violent way, surprising everybody, and forcing them to scream, again fearing for their lives; Lexie looked around and saw debris falling dangerously all over the place and without hesitation she jumped on top of her sister to protect her.

"L-leave Lexie, g-get out of here" Prue hissed; she knew the place wasn't going to hold any longer. "It's too late f-for me, but you s-still can…"

"No, there's no way in hell I'm leaving you here…come on, hold on to me, we can get out of here together" Lexie panicked when Prue remained still, unmoving. "Can you feel your legs?" She asked, trying to pull her sister up.

"Yeah, but I… I can't…I'm… I'm…" Prue tried to answer, but flinched as she drew in a breath to speak. "I…I…" she couldn't even think straight; She could feel her life slowly slipping away, and for the first time in her life, she felt fear.

"Prue…stay with me" Lexie softly held her sister's chin. "Come on, keep those eyes open for me…please" Lexie said with a tremulous voice.

Prue slowly opened her eyes and looked up, landing her sight on her sister's green, kind, but worried eyes. "My back hurts," she winced. "I think something's wrong inside of me…I'm not going to m-make it Lex, I know…I just…" She swallowed her cry, taking in all the fear and sorrow she saw on her sister's face. The pain she was unwillingly inflicting on her baby sister.

"Sshh," Lexie placed her trembling finger on Prue's dry lips. "Don't even think about it Prue" She took off her jacket and dropped it on the floor. "Forget it, you are not going anywhere" She looked down at Prue, and started taking her shirt off, "You're not getting rid of me that easily," she wrapped the shirt tightly around Prue's stomach, being very careful to cover up the open wound she had on her back; it wasn't that large, but it was deep; maybe it wasn't the world's most brilliant idea, but at least it helped slow down the blood loss a little. She then put her jacket back on while she checked her sister's injuries. "There" she nodded, satisfied with her own work. "This will give us more time" she stood there for a couple of seconds, staring at her sister. "I love you Prue" Lexie whispered and gently squeezed her sister's hand, "And listen well; lots of things are going to happen tonight in this building Prue, but you dying on me is definitely not one of them, so, forget it big sister, I'm going to get us both out of here".

"L-lex… Prue barely managed to whisper, she knew there was something wrong inside her; she knew her time was near; she could sense death's presence, that was an old feeling she knew too well. "Lexie…" She tried again, this time a little bit louder; she could feel herself slowly drifting away, so she reluctantly closed her eyes, risking a chance of never opening them back again, while her thoughts traveled to Andy and her sisters; just wanting to see them one last time; she needed to say good-bye.

"I'm right here" Lexie whispered, slowly leaning closer to her sister's face. She wanted to cry but she bit her lower lip and muffled her sobs; after all, she was an expert on that subject; She used to cry in silent almost every night before falling asleep and no one could ever tell.

"You need to tell Andy…a-and-and Piper and Phoebe that…"

"No, no, you'll tell them whatever it is you want to say as soon as we're out of this hole and as soon as they get here, because you're not leaving us, you hear? You're not going anywhere!"

"But…"

"No Prue, you are strong, and…and unbreakable, you can't give up now, please" Lexie started crying. "You just can't" She added, trying hard to keep her voice steady.

Prue wanted to give her sister the comfort she needed but she was weaker than what she was willing to admit she suddenly found herself praying, pleading to God to let her live a while longer, at least long enough to say one last good-bye. She knew she didn't have much time left; she couldn't hold much longer. She softly closed her eyes, unwillingly, allowing a few cherished memories of her sisters to flash inside her head. Piper's warm and comforting embrace…her sweet, shy smile…her strength and her unconditional never-ending love. Phoebe's bright inquisitive eyes; filled with their own special glee, yet so gentle and loving; always reliable; always there. And then there was Lexie, the youngest of them all; the wild one, the spontaneous one, the loner, the one that longed for love, even though she'd never admit it. The images kept flashing, suddenly pausing on Andy's tender, loving smile. She was abruptly pulled away into reality when Lexie's words became louder and clearer. "L-lex…? She whispered while her thoughts slowly drifted back to her baby sister.

"Yes, come on Prue, let's try…"

"N-no, y-you h-have to leave, I m-mean it, Lexie, for once in y-your l-life, do as you are told…" Prue hissed before she felt her body loosened in Lexie's arms. The last thing Prue heard was the panic in her sister's voice; She closed her eyes and drew a weak, peaceful smile when Andy's image became vivid in her mind; she fought to stay awake but didn't win.

"Stop it Prue, don't do this to me…please, wake up" Lexie grasped her sister's shoulders and shook her a couple of times trying to bring her back. "Stay with me here, please, Prue…PRUE!" Lexie's painful cries were quickly blended with hundreds of other desperate and terrified screams.

TBC


	8. Earthquake: Chapter Eight

**LOL PEANUTLB: Helen is my cousin, I was with her last night while typing, lol, I guess I made a typo...thanks for letting me know!**

**AlyssaAs:** Hey dude...lol...it's ok, I get all wacky myself when I'm bored. Glad you liked this chapter. To tell you the truth, I'm not that good when it comes to writing sad stuff, but I think I do well in writing angst. TFR

**Peanutlb: Matey! Yup, you got a Valentine from CC! Well, what can I say, Prue is my fav, (it shows, huh?) thanks for your great review dude, I think you're going to love the upcoming events. DUDE! COME ON! I would never…ever...kill Prue!**

**PrUE AnD AnDy:** Hey Kiddo, thanks for your review, and don't worry, I'll pitch in for a box of tissues, if you don't mind, and be sure that the eldest Halliwell won't die; I wouldn't have the heart to kill her.

**Faith Kingsley:** DUDE! Prue is not dead. And yeah, Lexie is kind of disoriented and acting weird; let's just give her a chance, ok? TFR

**Ruthy**: Hey dude, welcome to my world. Glad you liked the story. I hope I don't disappoint you with the following chapters. Naw…Prue will definitely be alive and well! TFR

**Sarah:** Thanks a lot dude, your words really mean a lot, and of course I'll keep you updated, I'm glad you liked my story. TFR!

**Princess Pinky: Dude…Dude…dude! No, believe me, I did not kill Prue! I could never do a thing like that! LOL - I'm cruel, aren't I? LOL But don't worry, everything will turn out ok, just bear with me here..K? TFR (PS I love your series, so now we're even!)**

**Kandie-Spirit-Dragon:** Hey Dude… glad you liked my fic. I promise it will get SADDER! LOL

* * *

C.C. McKenna 

Eartquake

Chapter Eight

Lexie realized her screaming wasn't doing any good, so, she clasped her sister's arms and struggled to drag her out of danger; her mind focused in getting quick medical attention for her sister, knowing for a fact that it had to be right away, if she wanted to keep her alive.

Lexie was out of breath, tired and scared, she needed her sisters' presence… Phoebe, she needed Phoebe's confidence and support. She stopped for a moment to take a deep breath, suddenly spotting a couple of flashlights coming her way; Her heart skipped a bit and slowly sat on the floor, gently holding Prue on her lap, waiting patiently for their rescuers to arrive; finally, her sister was going to get the medical attention she needed, little did she know that the nightmare was yet far from over.

Lexie tried very hard to remain calmed, but she couldn't keep herself from shedding some tears; She knew it was ok to cry, even to be weak some times, Phoebe had told her that, but this wasn't the right time; right now she needed to be strong and focused, so she strictly forbid herself to be frail. She hastily stood up and wiped the tears away, but deep down inside she was falling-apart.

Lexie watched the way the paramedics skillfully worked on her sister until she was finally stabilized. She knelt beside them and softly brushed her sister's cheek with the back of her hand. "She's going to be ok…right? Please tell me this is not as serious as it looks" Lexie looked for some comfort in the already exhausted paramedic's eyes.

"We don't know yet miss, I wish I could say she's ok, but she doesn't look good…"

Lexie was shaking and tightened her jaw when she heard the paramedic; in fact, her mind was completely blocked and she couldn't understand the rest of his statement, she just nodded when they asked her to stay put and wait for them to come back to get her. "Her name is Prue Halliwell, she's my sister; where…uh…" She cleared her throat to get rid of her broken voice. "Where are you taking her?"

"San Francisco Memorial" The paramedics replied without even looking at her, carefully strapping Prue's body.

"All right…I…uh…I'll wait, but please, just hurry up and get her there". Lexie kissed Prue on the forehead while she was still being carefully secured on the stretcher and as soon as they got up and carried her away; she grabbed her cell phone and punched Michael's number. Lexie knew it was going to be almost impossible to find him, but she had to give it a try, "For Kary" She thought. "Oh God, who am I trying to fool here…I like the guy" She mumbled as she carefully walked trying to hear the ring tone. She remembered Mike was near Prue when the floor collapsed, so he had to be close to the very same spot she found her sister; she just needed to be extremely careful and way too cautious, especially cautious if she wanted to find him.

Lexie closed her eyes and concentrated deeper on the ringing or any other noise that could possibly guide her to Karen's brother. She never thought her heart was going to react so blissfully, but it did; it jumped out of control the minute she heard Michael's cell phone; it sounded a lot louder than Prue's so, it could only mean one thing, he was undoubtedly a lot closer and maybe even at plain sight.

"Michael!" She shouted as she knelt beside him, quickly placing her index and mid finger on the left side of his neck. "Michael, please, come on, wake up" She gently slapped him a couple of times as soon as she confirmed he had a strong pulse. He didn't come out of his unconsciousness right away, but she felt her body loosened when she saw the paramedics hurriedly heading their way.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Ok Piper, I need you to have a seat and take a deep breath" Phoebe held her sister's arm and guided to the sofa. "Come on…breath with me…in…out, in…out" She breathed as well, trying to get her sister to follow her; Of course, without any luck at all.

"No Phoebe, I can't relax…I mean, how the hell do you want me to relax after we've found out that there's no way to contact our sisters at the manor…or…or at P3!" Piper shouted. "And there's no freaking way either to get a hold of our sisters on their own freaking cell phones!"

"Piper…Piper!" Phoebe knelt in front of her sister and grasped her knees. "Listen to me, please sweetie, listen to me" She softly held her sister's chin and lifted her face.

"What?" Piper wiped her tears away with a single swift stroke.

"I've talked to Darryl and…"

"WHAT! Piper abruptly jumped on her feet, startling Phoebe. "You've…you've talked to Darryl and you…y-you forgot to mention this little detail!"

"Piper…I've just talked to him and…"

Piper was too upset to try to reason. "Did he tell you something about Prue and Lexie? Anything?" She was fuming.

Phoebe lowered her head and chewed her lower lip, trying to come up with the right words. "Uhm…there's chaos in the whole city Piper, there's no phone lines, no electricity…"

"**Did** he or **didn't **he say anything about our sisters!" Piper harshly cut her sister off, suppressing the urge to yell.

Phoebe nodded, and taking a deep breath, she forced herself to speak. "The building where Prue was having her exhibition…uhm…"

"What!" Piper raised her voice; she was desperate and her chest ready to burst out. "The building what?"

"Collapsed" Phoebe's gaze rested on the floor; her reply was a mere whisper; even almost inaudible for herself, but Piper somehow already knew what Phoebe had to say. "Darryl is already looking for them…personally"

Piper dropped on her knees; eyes shut; unable to control her shaky body. "Oh my God, no…please Phoebe, tell me this is a mistake…tell me Darryl is wrong…tell me this is not true…please!" She pinched the bridge of her nose and bent her head down. She wanted to be strong…for Phoebe…for herself, but her eyes didn't share the same thought.

Phoebe immediately rushed over to her sister and fell on her knees, tightly wrapping her arms around her; She said nothing, there was no need for words; the only thing they needed were each other, and they both knew it. Phoebe gently rocked her shuddering sister back and forth, softly, never letting her go. "They are safe Piper…we've got to believe in that"

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Darryl rubbed his eyes and kept them tightly closed as he rested back his head on the white walls of the S.F.M Hospital. He had been searching for his friends…no, his sisters, as he would indubitably call them, for the past six hours or so and he was exhausted. He rubbed the back of his neck trying to rid the soreness and the weariness, but most of all, he was trying to find the right way to tell the two remaining sisters that Prue and Lexie had been seriously injured. He unconsciously slid down the wall and sat on the cold floor; completely ignoring the frantic coming and going of doctors and nurses. The entire hospital was a complete chaos. A sudden lean figure came out of nowhere and stood in front of him. Breaking free of the hypnotic trance that he seemed to have fallen into, Darryl looked up and found the worried eyes of the Doctor that was taking care of Prue. He slowly stood up, taking a paused, deep breath and swallowed hard, never breaking the eye contact with the person dressed in a soft blue outfit. Darryl was ready for any kind of news the doctor was ready to give him.

"Are you family?"

"No, I'm a very close friend of the family…Darryl Morris" Darryl unconsciously held out his hand.

"Sorry" The doctor automatically shook Darryl's hand. "But I need to talk to her family; it's urgent"

"Is…is s-she?…"

"No; but she will be if we don't operate soon"

Darryl closed his eyes and held his breath for a moment. "Her sisters are in New York at the moment and I don't think they can get here any time soon…can I sign whatever it's needed?"

"I'm afraid not…and besides, that's not the only thing she needs…"

"Wait a minute" Darryl interrupted. "She does have another sister; in fact, she's being treated in this same hospital too; her name is Alexia Bennett and…"

"Thank you" Now it was the Doctor's turn to interrupt. "I'll go find her right now"

"Yeah…sure" Darryl shook his head, watching as the doctor left in a hurry. "She's in the ER…I guess..." He whispered to himself.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"She's what!" Lexie shouted. She was sitting on a gurney, while her upper body was carefully being strapped with a white, elastic bandage.

"Like I said… I had to perform a tracheotomy and placed Miss Halliwell on a respirator and kidney filtration machine. I've also sedated her very heavily; she won't be able to wake up for quite a while"

Lexie jumped out of the stiff bed, wincing a little when she landed on the hard cold floor, but she was more concerned about her sister than herself. "Are you sure you're talking about my sister?" She walked towards the doctor and gazed up at him, perhaps maybe a little optimistic.

"Miss Bennett, her kidneys have failed completely; one is gone, totally crushed; and the other one is badly damaged, in fact, I don't think she can make it…not without a kidney transplant, she won't"

Lexie stared at the floor and took another big breath before looking straight into the doctor's bewildered eyes. "She can have mine" She added firmly.

"I was hoping you'd say that" The doctor nodded. "But you must know that this is a very delicate operation, I mean, it's real serious and painful as well, and I need to…"

"I don't care what you have to do, and I certainly do not care if it's going to hurt or not, just do it" Lexie interrupted.

"But, I have to know if you're an eligible donor, and I need some blood tests and some tissue samples and…"

"I'm her bloody sister, for God's sake, what more could you ask for!"

"Sign here." The doctor handed Lexie a clipboard and waited patiently for her to sign the dozens of papers.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

TBC


	9. Earthquake: Chapter Nine

**Kandie-Spirit-Dragon:** Hey, thanks a lot for reviewing. And Yeah, I somehow tend to write sad dramas.

**Peanut2lb:** Sorry friend, no magical fixing this time. Yeah, Prue's kidney went totally KA-Boom! I just love to be mean to my fav witch; and you guessed right, Lexie can not be a donor, but no one told the doctors that shecouldn't, so wait and so, wait and read dude. Andy's cool. no need to worry. Thanks for reviewing pal. PS: I wonder where Leo is too...

**Faith-Kingsley:** Oh man, I love ice cream myself! Thanks for reviewing dude, and don't worry, Piper and Phoebe will be in SF pretty soon, after the surgery.

**Princess Pinky:** Hey there DUDE, thanks a lot for your nice review. Don't worry, Lexie will absolutely be a good donor, I made sure of that LOL, and I like Michael too, so him and Lex will definitelyhave something going, I just hope that Lex says yes, lol. About Darryl...I've alwyays thought that he's such a good friend to the sisters, I just love that guy.

**PrUe AnD AnDy:** Thanks a lot for reviewing kiddo, No need to worry, Andy's just fine, you'll see; and besides, he can't die, he has to marry Prue!...Ask Pinky and Peanut2lb!

**Sarah:** I'm so glad you like my story, and don't worry, Andy's ok. Thanks a lot for your nice words, I'm sure you'd write tooif you just gave it a try. (hint-hint) Yes, Lexie can be sweet sometimes, aint she?

**Orion H.:** Dude, I'm sorry about the not liking Andything. I think they do make a great couple though. Please, just bare with me here, grab a bucket andtry to like him, he's cool and I just can't seem to picture Prue with another guy. Thanks for reviewing mate.

**AlyssaAs:** Thanks a lot for your review kiddo. Why do I get the feeling that you don't like Lexie that much? LOL...Come on dude, give her a chance to show how much she loves her sisters. I hope this chappie answers most of your questions. Hey, I like your wacky posts... really, a lot!

**Charming Rachel 2005:** A quick oxygen mask coming your way! LOL thanks a lot dude, your words are very much appreciated. Of course I will continue with the story, I even Have a name for a sequel.

**Ruthy:** No need to fear, CC is here! Dude thanks a lot for reviewing. Here's your update.

**Jenny Sherman:** Jen, Jen, Jen... my dear friend, thanks a lot for always beeing on the look out for this friend of yours that happens to love you a lot. As you can see, I'm fine now. Thanks. Here's the next installment of the story you happen to like, which by the way, I'm honored. Take care matey. LOVE.

* * *

CC McKenna

Earthquake

Chapter Nine

"You can not keep me here forever, you know that, don't you?" Cole gripped his fingers tightly around the bars of the magic protected chamber he was kept in, and stared with evil eyes at his captor. "You know I'm going to kill you with my bare hands as soon as I break free"

"Oh, but I do not intent to keep you here forever; see…'forever' is a rather profound word, I just need you here so that your witch does not get the help she's going to be needing from you" He raised his hand and unexpectedly threw a powerful lightning bolt directly at Cole's chest, which immediately made him fall limply on his back. "I don't know, maybe I might even lure your witch down here; perhaps we could get a little cozy…"

"Y-you lay a hand on her a-and I swear t-there won't be a place f-for you to h-hide from me, I'll…"

"Belthazor…Belthazor…Belthazor; you were never a good looser, now, were you?"

"You're g-going to regret this Zinnlar" Cole gasped, "I promise you'll be begging me to k-kill you once…once I get to…" Cole closed his eyes tightly; the high voltage discharge he'd received from Zinnlar was starting to work wonders in his drained body. "I'll k-kill y-you" He whispered before fainting away.

"Yeah…ok, but perhaps some other day Belthazor, see… I'm kinda busy right now" Zinnlar smirked as he shimmered out; he was preparing his master plan to finally get the Charmed ones' powers once and for all, but this time he was sure he was going to get what he wanted, one way or another, he was going to be the new ruler of the underworld.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Darryl watched absentmindedly the way Piper and Phoebe, obviously disturbed, descended the electric stairs in the overflowed Los Angeles airport. They looked lifeless, filled with sorrow, and that made him feel a lot worse thanwhat he was alreadyfeeling. The last time he checked his watch he noticed that he'd been there for more thanfour long and exasperating hours; and now that they were finally in front of him, he just wanted to disappear from the face of the earth; go anywhere or do anything but being the barer of such appalling and painful news.

"Darryl!" Piper dropped her leather handbag and ran towards his friend, leaving Phoebe slightly behind. She wrapped her arms around his neck, no more words were needed; Darryl enveloped one arm on Piper's neck, tightly, feeling her desperation and pain, and held out the other one, waiting for Phoebe to join them. As soon as Phoebe reached them, she buried her face on Darryl's shoulder, feeling his unconditional love. But where was Cole? She needed him by her side but he just wasn't there for her, he wasn't there to ease her pain, to tell her that everything was going to be ok, that her sisters were alive and well and waiting for them. Phoebe broke up the hug and wiped her tears with the back of her hand, she took a deep breath and went directly to the point, asking the question that Piper was obviously afraid to ask.

"How are they?" Phoebe stared at him, unblinking, folding her hands in a tight fist, sticking her fingernails in the palm of her hands "Darryl…how are my sisters?" She tried again, a little louder this time, and nervously holding her breath.

Darryl, heartbrokenly, closed his eyes; he just didn't know where to start. He gently pulled himself back and looked at Piper directly into her eyes; still, he didn't have the heart to end with whatever amount of hope the sisters…his sisters… might have had. "Come on" He kissed Piper's and Phoebe's foreheads while he lifted their respective handbags. "We still have to get to San Francisco, I'll tell you everything you need to know on our way there…ok?"

Piper just nodded, unable to trust the steadiness of her own voice; Phoebe, eyes closed, whispered a weak yes.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Thank God you are ok…I knew you were alive and I…I also knew t-that…" Karen paused for a moment to swallow her cry, "My heart just knew we were not going to lose you" She smiled weakly, lovingly holding the hand of her kid brother, Michael, who was sitting by the side of her bed. He had a bandage on his head and numerous bumps and bruises, but no major injuries.

Michael slowly leaned over and gently placed a soft kiss on his sister's forehead. "I don't know what happened Kary, I don't even know how did I get here; thank God they found me in time, the building is gone… thank God we're alive" He squeezed Karen's hand and smiled at her. "There must be a reason why the big guy upstairs decided to give us another chance" His voice broke in his throat and his tongue inadvertently licked the lone tear that found its way out, reaching the side of his mouth. "I swear I'm not going to disappoint him, or…or you…or Mom"

Karen smiled, releasing a few tears of her own. "But you've always been a great brother…you could never disappoint any of us" She reached out and held his chin. "You've always been loving and sweet, and you know mom and I love you very much, don't you" She whispered softly.

"I love you both too" He kissed Karen's forehead again, this time lingering his chin on top of her head for a few seconds, until Karen broke the special moment.

"Where's Mom?" She winced as she tried to sit up. "She's ok, right?"

"Yes, she is" Michael smiled. "She located us in this hospital, you know?" He shook his head with proud. "She's with the doctor right now and signing the insurance papers, you know how that is" Michael placed his hand on her sister's chest and pushed her back onto the white fluffy pillow. "You have to rest sis", He gently caressed her cheek, "Get some sleep, I'm not going anywhere".

Karen smiled and sighed with relief. Thanks Michey…but I don't think I will be able to rest, at least not until you tell me where Phoebe's sisters are… Prue…and Lex…How are they?" Karen held her breath. "They were rescued, weren't they?" She searched for her brother's eyes. "Michael, say something please"

"I…I'm sorry Kary, I don't know anything about them; I can't even remember what happened after the floor collapsed, I try and try to put my thoughts together but I can't, I just know that…I woke up in here and… and the rest is just a blur, I don't know where they are" Michael grasped his sister's hands in his. "I'm sorry"

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Michael" Karen softly squeezed his fingers. "But since I am not allowed to leave this bed…can you go and see if you can find out something about them?"

"Sure sis; mom will be here any minute, I'll go as soon as she gets here"

"I'm ok, you go ahead and leave me here, I promise I'll be fine"

"No sis, I won't leave you alone, don't insist please" Michael barely smiled.

"Ok" Karen sighed and closed her eyes tightly; she would have been up by now, helping her mother, if only she weren't in so much pain. "Poor mom" She sighed. "She always has to take care of everything…I…I just wish Dad…I just…"

"I know" Michael kissed his sister's hand. "I miss him too"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

His eyelids were heavy, almost glued to the skin; he struggled to keep them open, blinking desperately a few times, trying to focus his gaze on the white ceiling. For a moment, he wasn't sure where he was or what was he doing there. He carefully scanned the empty room until sudden flashes of a terrible nightmare flooded his mind.

"Prue!" He shouted, swiftly bolting upright, gasping out of control. "Prue" He repeated his girlfriend name after painfully founding himself in a sitting position. He thoroughly scanned the unfamiliar room "Where are you?" He whispered to himself. "Doctor, nurse…anybody!" He shouted again as loud as he could, unable to jump out of bed.

The door suddenly flipped open, revealing a young nurse advancing swiftly towards him.

"Mr. Trudeau, is everything ok? Are you in pain?" The nurse quickly checked the IV needle and gently tried to shove him back to bed, act that Andy obviously refused to do.

"Where's Prue? How is she? I want to see her!" Andy demanded. "Where's the Doctor? Get him here!"

"Calm down Mr. Trudeau, please, just lean back" The nurse insisted until she succeeded in making him relax a bit. "If you tell me who Prue is, maybe I could probably ask around" She said calmly, but only she knew how difficult it was going to be to find out about the girl's whereabouts. Hospitals were overflowed, and some of them even had some areas out of service, flattened, and completely destroyed, due to the strong force of the recent earthquake.

"She's my fiancé" Andy replied with welled up eyes, swallowing his pain and his own stupid incapacity to find her. "Her name is Halliwell…Prue Halliwell", He gasped, holding the nurse's hand. "Please…will you help me find her"

"Ok…ok…let me see what I can do" The nurse gently padded Andy's shoulder, then grabbed the sheets and pulled them up to cover him. "But you have to promise that you'll stay calmly in bed, for your own good" She smiled kindly and waited for Andy's nod, and as soon as she got what she wanted, she left the room, in search of Prue Halliwell.

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"I don't know" Darryl paused for a moment to moisten his dry throat. "When I left the hospital, a couple of doctors were talking to Lexie, they needed her consent to take Prue into the OR"

"OR? And you left them alone?" Phoebe asked with concern, obviously upset. She was nervously sitting on the back seat and Piper was riding in front, beside Darryl.

"Phoebe, I had no choice, somebody had to come to LA and pick you up" Darryl glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Believe me, I would have stayed if I could" He shook his head, and Andy is injured too so…"

"Oh my God, Andy…and Karen!" Phoebe lunged herself against the front seat; Piper just turned her gaze to the window, as if she were jealously keeping count of the passing trees outside. Her mind was in San Francisco, with the eldest and the youngest, she had no space in her head for anything else at that moment.

"How are they?" Phoebe asked with a shaky voice. "Please tell me they are ok" Her heart almost stopped, waiting for an answer.

"Well, Andy is also in the Hospital, with a broken leg and a broken arm, but he's going to be fine, the doctors told me that no serious damage had been done; and Karen is fine too, I was outside the fallen building when the paramedics got her out… I really don't know what her injuries are, but don't worry, she was wide awake and she seemed ok"

"Thank God" Phoebe leaned back to her seat, closing her eyes and exhaling noisily as a sign of relief, while her mind quickly traveled to her boyfriend, Cole; she knew he had to be safe, she knew that the minute he sensed danger, he just had to shimmer out, as simple as that, but where was he? Why hadn't he come to check up on her, to see if she was ok, or at least give her a call; She kept asking herself repeatedly.

"You wouldn't happen to know anything about Cole, would you?" Phoebe asked, keeping her eyes closed and her hopes high.

"No, sorry Phoebe" Darryl kept his eyes on the road, not wanting to see Phoebe's disappointed ones. "But I'm sure he's fine, don't worry" He added sweetly. "My wife and kid are safe too, they were visiting Sheila's parents when it happened, they're in Chicago right now"

"I'm so happy for you Darryl, I really am; thank God little Michael didn't have to go through all that" Phoebe gently squeezed her friend's shoulder and gave him a weak, but sincere smile. "He's too young for this kind of shock"

"Thanks Phoebe" Darryl returned the smile, somehow feeling guilty for his good fortune.

"Yeah…yeah, thank God everybody's ok" Piper added, suddenly cutting in the conversation. "But we want to know about our sisters; you said they were seriously injured, but you haven't been clear enough" She turned to face Darryl, slowly shifting to lean her back on the door. "I need you to be more specific about our sisters' condition, please Darryl, I need the truth"

"Ok" Darryl swallowed with difficulty; his dry throat making it a lot harder than the usual. "The doctor said…uhm…he said that"

"What?" Piper and Phoebe shouted at the same time.

"All right" Darryl slightly coughed. "The doctor said that Prue's kidneys were seriously damaged" He momentarily locked eyes with Piper and then with Phoebe.

"Seriously damaged?" Piper unconsciously fidgeted on her seat. "W-what, what do you mean seriously damaged?" She nervously bit her lower lip "Seriously damaged as in she's going to need lots and lots of care and medication? Or damaged as in…as … as" Piper just couldn't find the courage to say what she was thinking.

"She needs a kidney transplant" Darryl barely whispered, immediately returning his gaze to the road.

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"I'm telling you, there's something wrong with my head…it…it still hurts and I think I'm loosing movement… m-my right arm and leg …they…they…they are numb…I … I need a Doctor…" Sophie insisted, still without being able to get up from the hospital bed.

The nurse got closer and checked her vitals. "Ok, just hold on, I'm going to get the doctor in here, but to tell you the truth, you seem to be fine, maybe you just need something to calm you down, but any way, I'll get the doctor just to make you feel better"

"Don't! Please, don't leave me alone, I'm scared"

"Listen young lady, there are lots of people that need help right now, haven't you noticed?" The nurse replied, desperately wanting to keep her cool, but with no avail. "I suggest you stay calm and I'll be right back with a doctor

"I'm a 'people' too you know, and I also need attention, I'm telling you, there's something wrong with me"

"I can see that"

"Obviously you can't" Sophia retorted. "I need something for the pain" She raised her voice and rubbed her temples, looking straight in the eyes of the stubborn nurse. "Please" She added softly.

"Sweetie," The nurse softened her tone of voice, "of course your arm is numb, we've fixed it, it's broken; your reflexes are good and you're staying here for observation, that concussion in your head is real nasty, so, if you need an extra dosage for that pain I can give you something, as long as you stop screaming and arguing, that way I can go back to help and take care of people who 'really' need medical attention"

"Ok" Sophia exhaled noisily, "But be sure to get the doctor in here, I need to talk to him, it's urgent"

"Sure, I'll be right back" The nurse added with a sweet smile after she injected the painkiller into the IV catheter.

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"Andy, what are you doing out of bed?" Piper asked as she ran towards him; holding back her nervousness, she knelt beside him and clumsily wrapped her arms around his neck. Andy's eyes sparkled as he clamped his hand around Piper's elbow. He wanted to say something but his voice just wouldn't come out. He was on a wheelchair, outside the OR, waiting impatiently to hear any news about Prue and Lexie.

"They've been in there for more than…" Andy took a deep breath. "I don't know…I've lost track of time" He whispered, not taking his eyes away from the intimidating doors.

"it's ok…everything's going to turn out right…you'll see" Phoebe bent down and kissed her future brother in law's forehead, immediately followed by a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder from his good friend, Darryl. Andy just nodded; he wanted to be strong but his heart felt differently, he cried in silent, desperately waiting for those doors in front of him to swing open and to finally get a chance to see his girl, his love, his life.

Piper and Phoebe sat together, holding each other's hands; also waiting for the doctor to come out and tell them that everything had gone perfectly well and that their sisters were doing great; and, at the same time, silently watching the way Darryl tensely paced back and forth the hectic hallway.

The operation lasted eight and a half hours. All of them were tired but as much as they wanted to rest or sleep, they just couldn't, and besides, the chaotic hospital just wouldn't allow them. The doors suddenly swung open and a not too pleased doctor appeared in front of them. He pulled out his green, blood stained scrubs and threw them on the floor, immediately fixing his eyes on the couple of anxious girls who stood fused as one right before his eyes.

Piper and Phoebe remained still, nervously holding back their breaths, anxiously locking eyes with the doctor but afraid to ask what they needed to know.

The doctor cleared his throat. "It's a real good kidney, it worked as soon as it went in" He barely smiled and instinctively turned his gaze away from the sisters.

"Buuut?" Phoebe managed to ask, her heart fretfully pounding inside her chest, preparing herself for the dreadful news that she knew were inevitably coming their way.

"Compatibility between donors and recipients depend on their blood groups and tissue types, but suitability as a donor is much more complex to assess, there has to be a lot of tests done; stress test, a CT scan, blood tests; including a renal ultrasound an ECG and to make this short, a full medical examination" The doctor paused for split second, expecting an interruption, but the sisters just kept staring at him. "I ran most of them, and the youngest was the perfect match for your eldest sister…but… I made a big mistake" He added, swallowing hard. "I did not run the ECG…I thought …she being so young…a-and"

"What happened to my sister?" Piper asked, her brow creasing in confusion as she got nearer the stuttering doctor. "What did you do to her?"

"Her heart was too weak…she…uh…she couldn't resist the operation" The doctor lifted his eyes for a split second and immediately returned them to the floor, not being able to hold Piper's condemning gaze.

"NOOO!" Phoebe shouted, instantly crumbling to her knees and onto Andy's lap, immediately feeling the strong, comforting touch of her brother in law's hand on the back of her neck.

"But that just can't be" Piper staggered, "She was ok, I mean, she was doing a lot better, she was taking all her pills….a-and…her heart was…she can't"

"I'm sorry" The doctor whispered, staring at both sisters. His words were as cold as ice.

Darryl put his arms around Piper, silently making himself present.

TBC

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	10. Earthquake: Chapter Ten

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**Jenny: I've made a few changes, read and find out... tell me what you think. **

**Princess Pinky:** Ok dude, I'm here, and I've fixed things...lol, you're cool, thanks for reviewing and sorry for the delay.-------**Peanut 2lb:** Yeah my friend, IthinkI'mgoing for a twist now, let's see what happens,stay tuned, and don't worry. I wouldn't kill Lexie. Dude, thanks a lot for those hughs, i really needed them.------ **PrUeAnDAnDy:** Eww! Imagine a married corpse!... thanks for reviewing dude.--------**Orion H.:** Thanks Orion for reviewing, but if you don't mind, I'm sticking with Andy. Maybe I'll try something differente in the near future just to meet your request. Stay cool.------- **JC:** Long time no see dude, so honored to be reviewed by you. Thanks for reminding me about Victor, I wasn't really planning toinvite him, but I think I'll find a way to squeeze him in.-------**Ruthy:** Sorry to make you wait this long. I hope you like it. T.F.R.--------**FaithKingsley:** Dude...Here it is, finally, an update, I hope you're not mad for killing Lexie...read on...TFR.--------**AlyssAs:**LOL, Dude, I know you're just pulling my leg... (ouch!) Yeah, I think you're absolutely right,there are few tears coming your way soon, and Yeah, I wasgone too long for some major problems, but I'm back. Thanks for reviewing! ------...now...Read Everyone...and be nice!

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CC McKenna

Earthquake

Chapter Ten

"Wait a minute" The Doctor slowly walked to Piper; immediately realizing the enormous mistake he'd just made. He just stood in front of her, pretending not to be aware of Darryl's piercing eyes. Even though his voice was completely unemotional, he knew he'd acted without any consideration at all. He was very nervous. "I'm sorry, but I guess I didn't make myself clear"

Piper wiped her eyes with a tissue that Darryl quickly placed on her hand and slowly turned around to face the doctor. "W-what?" She tried to steady her voice but it came out shaky anyway. "What exactly did you just say?" She softly mumbled as a small sparkle of hope blazed inside her eyes; the same sparkle that forced the doctor to divert his gaze.

"Your sister…uhm…the young one; the donor, that is…she uh…"

"She what!" Phoebe spat.

"She's not dead, well, she went into cardiac arrest during the operation,; it took us a few minutes but we did get her hart back in track again." The doctor stated with an almost smugly tone of voice. "She's in a comma" He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry if I made you think that she was…uhm…"

Phoebe was quick on her feet, nervously standing in front of the doctor. "That means she still has a chance, doesn't she?" She reflexively wiped her tears from her eyes, totally ignoring the doctor's stupidity, and immediately feeling how her soul returned to her body. "Right Piper?" She asked, swiftly turning to her sister, looking for some kind of support, any kind, but Piper remained quiet, trying to assimilate the doctor's words. "Doctor?" Phoebe looked at him with pleading eyes.

The doctor took a chair and slowly sat down, he leaned forward and stared at his hands. He wasn't just sitting, he was thinking. He was trying to decide whether he should give them hope or not, but after a short while he decided to be honest.

"Yes; but very little. Listen, I don't want to mislead you again," He cleared his throat. "If by some…miracle, your sister is able to survive, and maybe get a new heart, I'm afraid we don't know how much damage has been done to her brain…there was a considerate lack of oxygen and…we could never expect any sort of real recovery" He paused, letting those words sink in. Neither Piper nor Phoebe said anything. There wasn't anything to say. That was that.

The doctor slowly got on his feet and straightened his white coat. He took a deep breath, "Right now she's artificially being kept alive, and carefully supervised, we're doing all we can for her, she's having the best of cares thanks to the advanced technology that we have in this hospital, the rest…the rest is up to her now"

"Oh, wow, now that's a relief!" Andy spat, glaring at the man in front of him, and somehow wanting badly to strangle him. "Now I'm sure you're about to say how lucky she is, aren't you?"

"I d-didn't mean it to sound like that, what I meant is…"

"Save it, I don't care what you meant, we want to see them" Andy raised his voice almost to a shouting point, upsettingly running his fingers through his hair, still trying hard to keep himself under control.

The doctor nodded, tossing the stethoscope around his neck. "Of course you can see them, but right now is not the time" He walked towards Piper, "You can't because the recipient will …"

"Prue, her name is Prue" Piper glared at him. She bit her lower lip to avoid spitting what she really wanted to say and decided instead to wheel Andy towards the elevator, deliberately ignoring the doctor's words.

The Doctor turned to Phoebe and quickly held her by the arm, preventing her to leave as well. "Your sister…Prue, will be in the ICU for a while, she'll be then transferred to a private room, you can not see her until then"

"Yeah?" Phoebe wiggled her arm free from the doctor's grasp. "Just watch me," She stated coldly as she quickened her pace to catch up with Piper.

Darryl glared at the doctor for a quick moment. "I strongly suggest you go along with them" He winked and ran after Phoebe.

Piper opened the door very slowly, nervously, almost as if she knew what she was about to witness. She stopped for a moment, gripping her fingers tightly on the wheel chair's handles as hundreds of vivid flashbacks of her sisters ran through her mind; She desperately wanted to see Prue, to hold her, but she knew it just wasn't going to be possible. She exhaled loudly and hesitantly poked her head inside the room, but she just couldn't convince herself to go inside. She was tense; She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to be brave for her and for Andy, but it obviously didn't work. She was petrified, simply terrified. She suddenly decided not to go inside; instead, she stood completely frozen just outside the ICU.

Phoebe arrived quickly to her sister's side; she was just a couple of steps behind her. She slowly reached for Piper's hand and softly clasped it; it was clammy and cold, but Phoebe knew it was going to be like that. She knew her sister very well. She took a deep breath and slowly helped her sister to wheel Andy inside. The three of them remained by the doorframe, unvoiced, unconsciously holding their breaths at the terrible scene before them; all three seizing their hands, all three completely in shock.

The steady beeping of the monitors suddenly became noticeable when a soft, muttered 'no' from Andy's lips was heard. Piper's hands quickly found their way to Andy's shoulders, gently squeezing them. Andy placed his trembling hand on top of Piper's and held onto it tight.

Phoebe blinked back tears as she stared, of course she was prepared to see Prue, and she even told herself over and over again that her sister was out of danger and that everything was ok, but she just couldn't get Lexie out of her head; the 'what ifs' were just too many to get rid of that easily. She was relieved to know that Prue was alive, but she was suffering for Lexie's critical condition. She wanted to scream and yell, but then again, she was also convinced that she would have done the same thing that Lexie did. She would have saved Prue's life as well. No doubt about that.

Yes, Phoebe was prepared, mentally prepared, but her heart was not, it almost left her body when she realized that Prue was not alone; Lexie was in there too; right in the same room. She never expected to find both sisters together, let-alone to see all the wires and tubes that were connected to their frail bodies.

Piper shared a look with Phoebe, while Andy unconsciously helped her make up her mind. She was hesitating about which sister to go to when she saw Andy wheeling anxiously towards Prue; Phoebe helped him a little, so he got there faster. Piper quickly lunged herself to Lexie's bed.

"Prue" Andy's words were barely a soft whisper. He reached out and carefully held his fiancé's unresponsive hand, very gently, feeling his heart abruptly come to live the moment he touched her again. "Thank God you're ok," He said, hoping that the love of his life could hear him, but she obviously did not. He rested his forehead on the chromed safety rail and started a silent prayer. He was not sure if he was doing the right thing, but his heart definitely was. Although the only time he'd said a prayer before was at his father's funeral.

"Oh my God, Prue…" Phoebe added as she bent down to kiss her sister's bruised forehead. "I thought I was never going to see you again" She softly ran the back of her hand on Prue's cold cheek, she gasped when she noticed her sister's unmoving form, so helpless, so vulnerable. Her sister was lying still on bed, unaware of her defenselessness.

"Lexie…sweetie, just hang in there, I promise you'll be all right. Piper's breath was caught in her throat when she took a closer look at her motionless baby sister. The exasperating slowness of the rise and fall of her chest was dreadfully frightening; and the beeping sound of the machine just made it harder for her to remain calmed. She held her sister's hand and squeezed it gently before bending over to kiss her temple. She shuddered slightly when she felt her sister's cold skin on her lips and held her breath when she saw her paleness. For a moment, she thought she was dead.

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"AUGH! Mom, I swear that if I don't get out of this place soon, I'm gonna go crazy" Karen pushed away the food tray with the remains of her dinner just holding on to the glass of cold milk. "I hate hospital's food" She anxiously pulled back her hair. "I hate Hospitals!"

"Kary, please sweetheart, calm down or you'll hurt yourself"

"Mom, I can't. Ok? I need to see Phoebe, I have to know how her sisters are" She spat, desperately kicking the sheets away with her healthy leg. They fell on the floor, by her mother's feet.

Jennifer picked the sheets up and placed them back on the bed, gently covering her daughter's legs. "I know sweetie, Michael and Brian went to see if they could find out something about them, and I'm sure they will; you just have to be patient"

"Patient, patient…you know it's impossible for me to be patient when my best friend's sisters are God knows where" She leaned back on the bed's board; staring at the ceiling; making her best effort to 'look' patient. "I need to get out of here" She insisted.

Jennifer sighed. "Drink your milk sweetheart"

Karen slowly sipped her glass, eyes fixed on the wall. "Sophie...I need to find about Sophie too" She thought but her words came out softly anyway.

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Phoebe knelt in front of Piper, gently running her thumb on the back of her hand. "I know what you're thinking Piper, and I swear I'm just as scared as you are, believe me, I know that Lexie is still in critical condition, we can loose her at any time; but we have to be thankful…we have to thank God because, because they're both alive, and because I know Lexie will get through this, but please Piper, please, just…just," Phoebe's voice broke down, as much as she wanted to be strong, she just couldn't. "Just be positive, please Piper, I need you" She said, allowing some tears to run freely down her cheeks.

Piper remained on the sofa, knees pulled up to her chest and arms tightly wrapped around them. "I'm sorry Phoebe, it's just that it hurts too much, and I don't know what to do, I don't want to loose them, and I'm scared" She whispered.

Phoebe rested her chin on Piper's shoulder. Tears filled her eyes when she felt that sisterly hug she'd been desperately longing for, and the warmth of her older sister's hand wiping her tears away.

"We're not going to lose them, you have to believe that" Phoebe gently pulled away from her sister's arms, wanting to look positive; she smiled, weakly, but a smile nevertheless, trying hard to believe her own words.

"I'm sorry Phoebe, I wish I could be as optimistic as you are right now, but I just can't". Slowly, Piper pulled Phoebe closer again and rested her chin on her forehead, eyes closed, jagged breath. Phoebe's closeness reminded her of that unusual, yet special bond they shared. She slowly opened her eyes when she experienced that old familiar feeling, the 'Power of Three Feeling' floating on the air. She blinked repeatedly, holding her breath, and slowly turned her gaze towards Prue. It took her a little while, but she finally realized that her sister was awake.

"Prue!" Piper jumped off the sofa and swiftly leaped over her sister's side. Prue slightly fluttered her eyes, blinking, trying to focus on the blurred figures in front of her; finally, she was able to stay awake. She looked at her sisters, and immediately knew something wasn't right.

"Hey" Prue's voice was barely audible but it quickly brought her sisters' hearts back to life again. "Y-you're here" She whispered softly as she tried to move, but a piercing pain on her back kept her in place. She frowned, trying to figure out why was she in bed, with both arms stretched down to her sides and uncomfortably facing down, she spread her gaze but didn't recognize her surroundings. Her mind was a complete blank.

"Hey yourself" Piper added with a huge grin, carefully leaning over her. "Yes, we're here, and we're not going anywhere" She caressed her sister's pale cheek, "Oh God, Prue, you gave us quite a scare"

Prue closed her eyes again, and slowly licked her dry lips. "Sorry" She whispered, making an enormous sacrifice in keeping her eyes open. She blinked a couple of times more, and at the same time, she unsuccessfully tried to smile. "What hap-ppened?" She asked, taking both sisters by surprise.

"Shhh" Phoebe gently ran her fingers through her sister's hair. "Don't talk, you need to rest"

Phoebe's words did not convince her big sister, and Phoebe knew it, but she had to try; she was perfectly aware that her big sister had never been stupid, and there was no reason to start being stupid right now. Bottom line here, no one could fool Prue and get away with it.

Prue smiled; confirming Phoebe's thoughts. "Uhu, just tell me where Lexie is, ok?" She said softly but sounded bossy anyway. "And Andy, I want to see Andy; why isn't he here with me? Where is he?" She frowned again, painfully holding her breath. "What the hell am I doing in bed anyway? And-and why on my freaking stomach!" She coughed, feeling as if her back was being viciously ripped open. "Piper, Phoebe, what's going on here? what's wrong with me? I need answers now"

"Prue, you need to listen to Phoebe, you need to rest; you just went through a very serious nightmare here and a quite complicated operation"

Prue frowned, narrowing her eyes as a sudden icy shiver ran down her spine. "Nightmare? Oh my God" She said as a couple of flashbacks filled her senses. "Y-you're t-trying to hide something from me aren't you? Where's Lexie, I-I need to know…is she… is… is, or is it Andy? Are they…?" She struggled to get her words out, afraid that they might become true. "I can't remember clearly, but the earthquake…the floor…Lex…Andy, he was hold-ding m-me, Piper, are they d…"

"No" Piper and Phoebe replied at the same time. "Lexie is right here" Phoebe slowly moved aside, allowing Prue to see her sister's bed, which was just a couple of feet away. "See?" Phoebe smiled, noticing Prue's slender release of air. "But she also needs to rest…she's been sedated; and Andy… A-andy is in his room, but he's fine…well, only a broken leg and a couple of fractured ribs, but he's in no danger."

"Are you sure?" Prue exhaled noisily; her mind still a little fuzzy and slow. "I want to see him" She slowly lifted her head, fighting against her blurriness, it took her a little while, but she was finally able to focus her sight on her baby sister, Lexie, which was completely knocked out. "You sure she's ok?" Prue slowly rested her head back, never breaking eye contact with Phoebe. Her brow shrugged as an obvious sign that she was in a great deal of pain.

Piper ran her fingers on her big sister's forehead. "Do you want me to get the nurse?" She asked sweetly. She knew that Prue was tough and if her tough sister had just made a gesture as a sign of pain, then she was absolutely convinced that the eldest was indeed suffering.

"What have they done to me? Why does it hurt like hell?" Prue's voice was still weak, but she somehow managed to make herself sound a little bit tough.

Piper swallowed hard before she gathered enough courage to answer. "They uhm…you were…"

"What? I was what!" Prue shouted nervously, trying hard to control the shakiness of her voice. "I need the truth. Piper…Phoebe?" Her mouth was dry and her heart pounding stronger than ever. Piper was speechless.

"Damn it Piper, just answer my question"

Phoebe saw Piper's vacillation and immediately went to Prue's side. "Remember the earthquake?" She paused until she perceived her big sister's nod. "Well, the three of you… I mean Andy, Lexie and you sweetie," Phoebe smiled weakly.

"Phoebe" Prue urged her impatiently.

"Yeah…well, you were trapped inside the building where you were having the photo exhibition; you, under a pretty heavy iron beam" Phoebe added nervously, waiting for Piper's back-up, but knowing for a fact that Piper just wasn't going to back her up.

"Am I paralyzed?" Prue's words sounded cold, completely unemotional.

"No" Phoebe answered quickly. "It's not that, it's your kidneys"

"Kidneys? W-w-what about my kidneys?"

Phoebe raised both hands, wide open, in front of her. "Calm down Prue…"

"Phoebe, what-about-my-freaking-kidneys!"

"Prue…"

"Phoebe! I need to know now"

"They were both extirpated Prue," Phoebe said hesitantly. She quickly lowered her head and fixed her eyes on the floor. " And…"

"Oh my God" Prue muttered those words almost to herself. She gradually released the air she was unconsciously holding inside; and her eyes denoted fear; a fear that was rarely seen in her. "Oh God" She whispered again, softly, but a little louder this time, shaking her head and biting her lower lip. She didn't want her sisters to witness her weakness, so she tried to cover her face; unfortunately, she couldn't move. Her respiration became faster, almost out of control. There was no place for her to hide her vulnerability.

Phoebe chewed her bottom lip, gently stroking Prue's back. "Easy honey, take it easy, I know how you feel, so breath slowly now, come on, work with me here, take a deep breath" She kept stroking, with soft, light caressing movements.

"Take it easy? TAKE IT EASY! Phoebe, you don't know what you're saying" Prue made a quick motion to sway her sister's hand with her shoulder, and at the same time tried to knock the transparent oxygen hose off her face, but Phoebe swiftly grabbed her hand, opportunely ending with her sister's sudden impulse.

"Prue, you can't do this" Phoebe shook her head, still hanging on to her sister's hand.

"The hell I can't!" Prue spat. "I'm…I'm…"

"You're OK now Prue, you're out of danger, but you have to stay still to remain that way" Phoebe gently ran her fingers through her sister's hair to calm her down. "Trust me Prue, you are going to get well, you are so going to be ok because you are now the recipient of a new donated kidney."

"A d-donated kidney? But…but how? Whose kidney? Oh God, please tell me she didn't" Prue closed her eyes and took a deep breath, ignoring the sharp, piercing pain in her lower back. She knew. She definitely knew what Lexie, her baby sister, had done. She was more than sure that Lexie was her donor.

Piper's eyes were flooded with tears but she had been miraculously able to hold back her

cry. She also squeezed her sister's hand, tightly, and finally found the necessary strength to speak. "It was her decision Prue, no one forced her to do anything, she just wanted you to live and she accomplished her wish" Piper turned her back on Prue. "You would have done the same thing…I'm sure" She added, a little more calmed this time.

Prue was astounded. "Y-yeah, but…but…what about her heart? Did anybody stop to think about that? She just wasn't supposed to be a donor, her heart was too weak…what did the doctors say?"

"Nothing Prue; they said nothing 'cause they didn't know about it; she didn't tell them. She's not stupid Prue; she wanted to save you, so she kept her mouth shut, and now…now it's done" Piper said calmly. "And believe me, everything would had turned out right, if she…if only…" Piper covered her mouth, once again, unable to continue.

"If her heart would have been healthy enough" Phoebe added, knowing perfectly well the huge amount of pain her words were causing to her already suffering sister.

Prue hated to be weak, she hated to cry, especially in front of her sisters, but this time she didn't care; this time, she broke down, completely ignoring Piper and Phoebe's presence.

"Prue" Piper hesitated.

Prue slowly looked up, bravely swallowing her cry. "If I don't see Andy here in a minute, I swear to God I'll find a way to go to him"

"Prue…"

"I mean it Piper"

"Sorry to interrupt you" A tall, handsome doctor, already in scrubs, barged into their room. Half dozen of young physicians and nurses followed him. They all seemed nervous. "We have a new heart for your sister, and we have to operate now, the O.R. is ready for her and we just need your consent."

"What?" Piper asked in shock, tightly grasping Prue's hand against her chest.

"W-who will be performing the surgery?" Phoebe was quick on her feet, staring sharply into the Doctor's eyes and still astonished by his words.

"I am" He replied smugly.

"And I suppose you are a qualified heart specialist" Phoebe added coldly, keeping in mind the shortage of staff the hospital was experiencing. Prue and Piper were speechless.

"Well, I'm a heart surgeon, not much experience at hand, but I think I'm perfectly capable of…of… besides," He snapped. "The Hospital is a little short of Doctors right now" He said, suddenly becoming upset.

"Then I'm coming with you, I'm a resident in this hospital, and I'm prepared to assist you"

"I'm sorry, but she's your sister and I don't think you should…"

"No, I don't think you heard what I said" Phoebe frowned. "I am going to be in the OR **with-my-sister**, whether you like it or not, so, the quicker the better" She added. She was very serious. That Doctor's role just suited her to perfection.

"Come along then, time is precious" The doctor stood by the doorframe waiting for his team to come out. Piper hastily walked to Lexie's side, nervously clinging to her sister's cold hands.

"You come back to us, you hear?" Piper bent down and whispered in her baby sister's ear. She softly kissed her pale cheek and brushed back the hair from her face. The only thing Prue could do was stare at her sisters. She wanted to say something too, but her voice just wouldn't come out.

Phoebe saw Prue's desperation and went to her sister's side. "We'll be right back," She assured as she kissed her sister's temple. "Don't worry sis, everything will be all right" She gently ran her fingers on Prue's cheek, giving her a sweet smile. "I promise". Prue just nodded, unable to trust the steadiness of her voice. "Take care of her", Phoebe added, locking eyes with Piper, and squeezing her shoulder.

"I won't leave her side" Piper's voice was softer than ever. She then looked at Lexie, watching attentively the hastiness they used to wheel her gurney outside. "And you take care of HER" She asked back, with a noticeable new bright sparkle gleaming in her eyes.

"You know I will" Phoebe added as she left the room. Alexia, and the team of doctors were already halfway through the hall, and on their way to the OR. She quickened her pace, and suddenly found herself walking beside them; unconsciously gripping her hand tightly on the cold gurney's rail.

TBC

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	11. Earthquake: Chapter Eleven

CC McKenna

Earthquake

Chapter Eleven

Phoebe walked out of the OR after three or four hours of laborious surgery. She was still amazed of the huge amount of people that worked hand in hand to help her sister, but she was even more shocked when she found out that her sister was in a 'transplant Program' and that she even had a number on a waiting list. She tried to convince herself that it was all a mistake, that Lexie just couldn't have done all those complicated arrangements by herself and not say a word her or her sisters about it; but…she had that list in her hands; she was actually still holding on to it, staring at it, reading it over and over again, she was just… astonished.

Her knees suddenly buckled up, and she almost collapsed to the floor when she read her sister's medical chart. She steadied herself with the wall and closed the file, keeping it near to her chest. She rested her back on the wall and slowly slid down to the floor. She just sat there, lost in her thoughts, trying to find a way, to find the strength and the courage to go to her sisters and let them know about what she'd just find out. She hesitantly got on her feet, and decided it was time to go to them. She had to talk to her sisters, and it had to be right away.

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"Andy..." Prue whispered as soon as she opened her eyes. Piper tossed aside the magazine she was pretending to be reading, and gazed up at her sister. She quickly stood up but Andy made a quick motion with his hand, asking her to stay where she was.

"I've got her" He mumbled softly. Piper smiled and nodded, but discretely followed Andy's movements.

"I'm right here" Andy squeezed her hand and Prue immediately squeezed back, smiling feebly.

"L-lexie?" Prue asked; eyes closed. "S-she back yet?"

"No" Andy sighed. "But don't worry, I'm sure everything's ok…Phoebe's with her, remember?"

Prue just nodded; afraid to even move just to prevent a higher dose of the agonizing pain that she was already experiencing. Andy kissed the palm of her hand and her tensed body quickly relaxed.

"Do you want me to get the doctor?" He asked, already knowing what her answer was going to be.

"No." She said, not disappointing him.

Andy shook his head. "Prue, you have to be sure that everything will turn out fine, she's gonna make it…you'll see" He whispered softly but firmly. He wanted with all his heart to comfort her, to hold her, even fill her with kisses, but her condition was still delicate and he wasn't in the best of shapes either.

Prue barely had time to nod before falling asleep again. Andy tightened the grip on her hand and remained by her side. He just wanted to be close to her, to feel her, to love her.

A lonely tear rolled down Piper's cheek as she grabbed the magazine and went back to her reading.

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"Dad...I can't believe you're saying this, they're your daughters, for God's sake" Piper pulled her hair back and closed her eyes. She was angrier than ever to find out that her father wasn't going to arrive any time soon.

"No, of course I don't understand, I don't want to understand, and believe me, as much as I try to, I just can't… NO, I don't care how busy you are, I want you get your ass in here right now so you can be with your daughters…Dad, please…they need you…we need you" Piper kept pacing outside her sisters' room, trying to keep her voice down, but it was no use, Andy opened the door and stared at Piper, he didn't say a word, but his silent look let her know that she was shouting and that Prue was listening and aware of the discussion she was having with Victor. Piper nodded and walked a little farther away from the door. "I'm sorry" She whispered and immediately went back to her conversation.

"No, no, no, I'm not mad," She chuckled, "I'm pissed off" Piper spat through her tightly clenched teeth. "Of course Prue can understand, and I'm sure she won't mind at all, I mean, she's used to you bailing out on us all the time, but Alexia?… Dad, Lexie is just a kid, and she needs her mother, but since we cannot get her mother…" Piper waited a short moment, giving Victor a chance to reconsider, but she violently flipped her cell closed and hit her forehead with it when she heard her father's favorite line.

"I'm sorry sweetheart, I just can't…"

Piper took a moment to regain composure; she pinched the bridge of her nose and took a couple of deep breaths to get rid of her fury. She arranged her ponytail and hesitantly went back inside the room, not daring to look at her sister straight into her sad, blue eyes.

"Don't worry" Prue said softly, eyes tightly closed to prevent a couple of teardrops from reaching down her cheeks. She chewed her lower lip. "We already knew we couldn't count on him…he's not reliable" She gave Andy a sad smile when he kissed her eyes to dry them away.

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Phoebe opened the door and walked into the ICU where her sisters were nervously waiting for her. She slowly closed the door as two sets of eyes immediately fell upon her.

"She's in the recovery room; the operation was a success" She explained as she leaned back on the door.

Andy smiled, kissing Prue's hand and Piper leaped over Phoebe with a smile that could easily cover her face from ear to ear. Prue was still asleep.

"Everything went just perfect" Phoebe added.

"Can we see her?"

"No, not yet, right now she will have to spend 1 or 2 days in the recovery room, 2 or 3 days in the intensive care unit, and about 7 days in a private room in the transplant unit" Phoebe walked closer to her sisters; She looked nervous. "During this time, she will have to undergo constant monitoring and testing, including regular heart biopsy procedures…"

"Heart biopsy?" Piper interrupted. "How can she get a heart biopsy? What's that? Isn't it dangerous?"

"No sweetie" Phoebe held Piper's hand between hers. "A heart biopsy involves removing small pieces of tissue from your new heart to see if your body is rejecting the organ; and if everything is ok, she will be sent home."

"R-really? Just like that?" Piper raised one eyebrow.

"Yeah, but for a 3-month period after leaving the hospital, she must come back for regular checkups; but don't worry, these checkups will let members of the transplant team to watch very closely for signs of rejection or other complications; but what's important right now is that Lexie is doing great, I mean, she has a critical condition, but she's young, and her vitals are strong"

Piper sighed and stared at the floor. "I'm still nervous…what if her new heart is rejected or something."

Phoebe nodded. "I understand your fear and doubts Piper, and although most transplants are successful, some do not turn out as hoped. In some cases, the donated heart simply does not work, and sometimes it becomes obvious in the operating room or shortly after surgery, neither of these has happened, but another major cause of failure could also be 'tissue rejection', that's when the body's immune system knows that the donated heart is foreign tissue and tries to destroy it, as if it were a virus or some other disease-causing agent. There is no other way to check for signs of rejection, except through routine biopsy of heart tissue." Phoebe took a deep breath, firmly pressing her fingers against her eyes. "She had to take that risk Piper, there wasn't any other way" She added softly.

"B-but she will be ok…right? She…she won't have any of those things…right?" Piper stuttered.

Phoebe gave her a sad smile. "I wish I could assure you that she won't, but you have to keep in mind that transplant recipients have an increased risk of infection, especially during the first 3 months after transplantation, because of the medicines she must take to prevent rejection, and these medicines, called immunosuppressant, make it harder for the body to fight off disease, and sometimes these medicines can let an infection turn into a serious medical problem long after surgery…but, we'll worry about that when the time comes, right now…" Phoebe swallowed hard and turned her gaze away from her sister.

Piper frowned as she tried to find her sister's eyes. "What's the matter Phoebe?" She gently held her at arms length. "Is there something you're not telling me… us?" She turned to Andy and then to her sister, all in a swift movement, nervously waiting for her reply.

Phoebe slowly got closer to Prue's side and gently ran her index finger on her eyebrow. "I just don't know where to start."

"Phoebe…you're scaring me…" Piper's breathing became heavier and a lot faster.

"Sorry" Phoebe took a deep breath and unconsciously wiped her eyes. "What I'm going to say is going to come as a shock for you, but you have to know"

"For God's sake Phoebe, just…just say what you have to say!"

"Lexie's new heart…"

"Yeah?" Piper slowly walked towards Prue's bed and stood in front of Phoebe.

"It was Sophie's heart" Phoebe whispered.

"Oh my God" Piper covered her mouth while her knees gave way, grabbing the safety rail from Prue's bed just in time to regain balance.

Prue gasped when she heard Phoebe's words and immediately squeezed Andy's hand. She bit both her lips from the inside and took a long, deep breath. Even though her eyes were closed, she'd been awake the whole time.

"I'll get the Doctor" Andy gently rubbed Prue's back and wheeled himself outside the room, heading towards the nurses station. Prue didn't even try to stop him this time.

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"My, my; isn't it such a lovely surprise?" Zinnlar's voice suddenly filled the room. Prue flinched when she heard his sickening tone, immediately knowing well enough to whom it belonged to. She wanted to do something but unfortunately, he was standing behind her. She growled when couldn't move. Piper's heart rapidly started beating out of control but she kicked away her astonishment and quickly did what she knew best, unfortunately, just as the last time, the flickering of her wrists just didn't do him any harm.

Zinnlar staggered back a little and laughed with sarcasm, carefully straightening his impeccable, black coat. He smirked and slowly advanced towards a wide-eyed Piper. "I know this is going to sound lame, but I'll say it any way" He widened his smile, preparing himself for what he thought was going to be the ultimate 'punch line'. "Seems almost anti-climatic after all this time, doesn't it?" He chuckled; "Oh, you just don't know how much I love that line!"

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TBC

Quick survey. Are you guys getting tired of this story? Do you want me to cut it short or do I go on with what I have in mind?

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	12. Earthquake: Chapter Twelve

* * *

**Peanut2lb:** Ok, thanks for your support, I'll go on with my plans. You still have a lot coming your way dude. Hang on. T.F.R. 

**Princess Pinky:** Sorry, sorry, sorry,...I know you really liked Sophie, but I couldn't find a better way to get a perfect heart for Lexie. I'll think about that spirit visit, good idea dude. I'm afraid Zinnlar is going to be hanging around a little more, and about Leo...he'll get back, promise. That wedding is coming real soon missie, just stick around.

**Orion H.:** Thanks Orion, I'mglad you're still around despite the not liking Andy thing.

**PrUe AnD AnDy:** Thanx, I'll go on with my plans then. Yup, let's see if Sophie's heart gets some sense inside that reckless head of Lexie. T.F.R.

**Faith Kingsley:** You said it dude, now you'll have to stick aroundwith me until this story is finished. I hope I don't disappoint you. T.F.R.

**JC:** Awww, you're so sweet, thanks a lot. I'll keep writing then, but please feel free to let me know if it gets too boring.T.F.R.

**Ruthy**: Hi there, I tried to be quick, believe me, I really tried, but things always get in my way. Hope you like it. T.F.R.

**Charmed4eva1990**: Hey soccergurl! Thanx for your review. I'll stick with my original plan then. Stay cool.

**JAMSSTANG:** Of course not, I won't quit, see, I know most of us Charmed lovers share the same opinion. Prue was just the best. I'm not saying that Paige isn't, it's just that Prue's episodes were filled with more personal matters, love bonding, even sister fights, and these last seasons, everybody seem to be way too involved in their own issues and lives...aww well, Charmed is cool anyway, isn't it? T.F.R.

* * *

C.C. McKenna 

Earthquake

Chapter Twelve

Piper slowly moved and stood in front of Prue, shielding her defenseless sister with her own body. Prue grabbed her bed-sheets and closed her hand in a tight fist, painfully burying her fingernails through her soft skin.

"C-careful Piper…" Prue whispered; her cheek resting heavily against the bed. She tried to lift her head, but a sudden piercing twinge ran through her back, keeping her just in place.

Piper nodded, rubbing her sister's back to diminish her pain. "I know" She glared at Zinnlar right into his evil, sparkly eyes and then turned to Prue. "You ok?…stay still, I'll fix this" She said, trying to convince herself as much as her sister.

"No, Piper, don't try anything, he'll…he'll kill us" Prue tried to keep her breathing under control..

"Listen to your sister." Zinnlar grinned, staring at Piper. "She seems to be the one with the brains in here; no offense, of course", He winked. "Unfortunately not too energetic right now, is she?" He added scornfully.

"What do you want?" Without a second thought, Phoebe hurried to place herself between him and her sisters. She knew that their powers were useless against him, but she just wasn't going to let it go without a fight. She was sick and tired of that particular demon, so she was prepared to give him a 'hell of a fight' this time.

"Don't you ever get tired of asking the same question over and over again?" Zinnlar reached out and surprisingly caressed Phoebe's cheek with filthy lust.

Phoebe immediately turned her head away; her sisters quickly spotting the rictus of disgust on her face.

"She asked you a simple freaking question, why don't you just answer it; damn it!" Piper spat, she was angry, obviously hating the way the demon dared to touch her younger sister. Prue slowly searched for Piper's hand and clasped it, trying to soothe her a little and at the same time trying to ease her own pain, which was growing stronger by the minute. She couldn't do more for her sisters, no matter how badly she wanted to help, she was useless, faced down, hating her impotence and her inability to move.

"Mmmhm… I completely forgot about how touchy we could get with these little things". Zinnlar cracked his fingers under the fuming glares of the sisters. "All right, all right, I'll be concise, I'll go straight to the point; I want your powers, and I want them now…as simple as that." He rubbed his hands together and slowly sat on the black sofa, facing the sisters. He looked at them briefly, one by one, taking great pleasure of their not so surprised faces, savoring the moment. "You have no choice witches, either you relinquish your powers or I'll start with plan B" He leaned back, smiling.

"Get him the hell out of here!" Prue uttered. "Now!"

"I believe you have no say in this" Zinnlar glared at Prue. "Haven't you noticed how irrelevant and unimportant your presence is?"

Piper supportively squeezed her sister's hand and gazed at Zinnlar. "Shut up; and get the hell out of here, you know you're never gonna have our powers" She said with a sigh, and a very obvious fed-up roll of eyes. "Why do you keep insisting? Why don't you just give it up? You know you can't kill us," Piper added.

"I know. But may I remind you that I can hurt you, and I mean really hurt you, especially that other sister of yours, the one that doesn't have any powers, what's her name? Oh yes, I believe it is Alexia, isn't it? You've always seemed to be quite protective about her." He scorned. "Maybe I could use that little sister of yours to persuade you, I don't know… what do you think?" He chuckled, surprisingly disappearing and shimmering by Prue's side, kissing the top of her head.

Piper raised her hands wanting to blow him away; but clenched her teeth with anger when she recalled that her powers were useless, that she couldn't hurt him; but Phoebe could; The youngest Halliwell hurled herself on the demon's back and pulled him away from her sisters' side. Zinnlar was disgracefully caught by surprise and fell heavily on the floor, Phoebe right on top of him.

"You stupid witch!" Zinnlar waved his hand and a low bolt of energy quickly surged from it, sending Phoebe violently against the wall. He made sure she got hurt; he didn't want her dead.

"Phoebe!" Piper shouted; and before she even got a chance to run to her sister's side, Zinnlar threateningly held up his hand, stopping Piper right on her tracks.

"Bastard!" Prue shouted, tightening the grip on Piper's wrist to keep her close and safe.

"See...I think you have this backwards", Zinnlar smirked. "I believe your little sister is the bastard one", He laughed sarcastically. "Is she not?"

What happened next sent a chill down the sisters' spines. Zinnlar disappeared and quickly reappeared on the other side of the room, and in just a matter of seconds, he held Phoebe in his arms. He sneered, looking at the sisters for a quick instant and triumphantly shimmered out.

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"Phoebe…. Phoebe!"

Phoebe's eyes quivered slowly, almost imperceptibly. Her eyelids were heavy, but she made a huge effort and blinked repeatedly to keep them open when she kept hearing her name echoing inside the deepest corner of her mind. She wiped her eyes with her trembling hands and slowly sat up; rubbing her temples with gentle circling motions, while her name still rang faintly inside her mind. She shook her head, trying to rid the pain, but it hurt her even more; She tightened her eyes as she tried to kneel and maybe even try to stand on her feet, but it didn't work either, she stumbled back onto the floor and her body started slightly shaking; she had no control whatsoever over herself. The place was cold, and gloomy, and the rugged walls and floors were made out of a strange mixture of burgundy and black damp clay.

"Phoebe…wake up… come on Phoebe"

"Mmhhm…w-wh…?" She hesitantly grabbed her head.

"PHOEBE!"

"C-cole?" Phoebe's eyes snapped open as she hastily bolted up.

"Over here" Cole said, banging the iron cell with the palm of his hands. "I'm over here Phoebe"

Phoebe put aside her throbbing head and walked towards the voice; mostly guided by her heart, than by her hearing. "Cole?" She rubbed her eyes to get a much clearer sight of the shadowy scene in front of her; the fog made it a little difficult for her to see where she was heading to, but she was finally able to focus her eyes on Cole's slender figure. The place somehow seemed a little too familiar, and even though she could hardly see in the gloom, she knew perfectly well where they were.

"Cole?" Phoebe's heart made a quick leap inside her chest. "What are you doing in there?" She mumbled as she ran to her boyfriend, carelessly pressing her body against the iron cell and hastily cupping her hands around his sweaty face. "Baby…are you ok?" She barely had a chance to whisper before Cole captured her luscious mouth with his.

Half frightened, half thrilled, Phoebe's body trembled against the strong arms that held her through the cold bars; her heart fluttering like a caged bird against his hectic chest while his hot breath utterly overwhelmed her.

"I see you've found the little surprise I had for you, witch" Zinnlar scorned, he'd been sitting in the dark, hidden behind the shadows, waiting patiently for Phoebe to come around from out of her nothingness.

Phoebe jumped back, startled, and shortly confused; but the memory of what had happened back at the hospital suddenly hit her. "Where the hell are you? Show yourself!" She took a defensive stance looking around.

"I'm literally here, my favorite hell" Zinnlar slowly emerged out of the darkness. "Missed me witch?"

Phoebe stood still for a moment, silent but alert. She met Zinnlar's eyes and bravely held his threatening gaze; she wasn't scared anymore, in fact, she wasn't even aware of her frantic breathing suddenly becoming a shallow whisper. Her mind went blank, allowing herself to register one thing, and one thing only; Zinnlar's death. She wanted to kill him so badly.

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tbc


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